I do hope that if Democrats and Republicans can work together to come up with even a temporary fix to health care, they won't let Trump take credit for it. He will certainly try to, but they will need to stick to their guns and not let him.
37
I had a real estate developer friend in the middle 80s who carried around a $1 million CD in his briefcase when he visited a bank to get a loan for a real estate project. Could my friend have written a book about deal making?
Trump's inheritance of millions from his father was all he needed to get loans at Manhattan banks. At first anyway. Actually Trump is not a deal maker at all, but he is without doubt a transaction bully.
Look at the deal Trump made with the Mexican president when he visited there as a primary candidate. He didn't even bring up the subject of Mexico paying for the wall because he knew he had no leverage and that building the wall was a a con job.
Right after his trip to Mexico City, he gave a speech of sorts in Arizona and told the gathering that Mexico is going to pay for the wall, "but Mexico doesn't know it yet". The crowd cheered, Trump won the presidency, and his true colors showed recently with Trump pleading with the Mexican president to go along with the "Mexico will pay for it" con job.
That's sort of like Trump having sex with another man's wife, getting caught, and then pleading with the woman's husband to not say anything so that Melania wouldn't find out.
Trump's inheritance of millions from his father was all he needed to get loans at Manhattan banks. At first anyway. Actually Trump is not a deal maker at all, but he is without doubt a transaction bully.
Look at the deal Trump made with the Mexican president when he visited there as a primary candidate. He didn't even bring up the subject of Mexico paying for the wall because he knew he had no leverage and that building the wall was a a con job.
Right after his trip to Mexico City, he gave a speech of sorts in Arizona and told the gathering that Mexico is going to pay for the wall, "but Mexico doesn't know it yet". The crowd cheered, Trump won the presidency, and his true colors showed recently with Trump pleading with the Mexican president to go along with the "Mexico will pay for it" con job.
That's sort of like Trump having sex with another man's wife, getting caught, and then pleading with the woman's husband to not say anything so that Melania wouldn't find out.
46
The "President of GOP Telemarketing and Bill Collectors" at his best...!
His donors are looking to RUSH thru rapid, but deceptively slow changes, such as watching metals under increasing STRESS, while STRAIN transitions from Elastic to Plastic...!
His donors are looking to RUSH thru rapid, but deceptively slow changes, such as watching metals under increasing STRESS, while STRAIN transitions from Elastic to Plastic...!
10
He promised a La La Land,
Then we found out,
He lives in a Lie Lie Land,
God bless America!
Then we found out,
He lives in a Lie Lie Land,
God bless America!
32
We notice the many accusations that the mainstream press is focused on criticism of tRump, even trying to make him Fail. Gads I certainly hope so!
8
If Mr. Trump runs the country in the same way he ran his private corporations then we could expect him to bankrupt America, personally profit from it and let the next generations get stuck with the unpaid bills…
50
Trump is the legitimate of the US, UNLESS you do not accept the constitution. Stop HATE and Obsession. Just oppose do not destroy, Honor the LAW. HATE is not good.
1
As if you would report any successes anyway. The whole "we're smart, you're stupid" narrative is so baked in I don't even know what it would possibly take to see DJT given credit for anything. Trump admin coordinates a UN resolution to impose deep sanctions on NK...including getting China on board...and it is barely mentioned. NYT writers are for the most part excellent and I enjoy my subscription...in spite of the obvious political bias.
2
Trumps disfunction is a huge problem for this country. Everyone around him have been involved with this disfunction and helping to cover up layers of misinformation and spewing " alternative facts" ! Hope congress can stop him before he and his cabinet do any more damage to our democracy!
20
America is tired of Trump’s version of winning. It seems that every day he puts out another announcement of actions designed to please his base, his base of left behind whites who have come to hate everyone who is not in their racial, social or economic circumstance.
Where is all this going? Just remember that his fans are committed and armed.
Where is all this going? Just remember that his fans are committed and armed.
20
President Trump has fulfilled his campaign expectations by 50%.
Candidate Trump promised he’d make so many great deals that we’d all get “tired of winning.”
We are already tired.
Please, from now on focus more on the wining our hearts and solving the problems…
No tweets, no complaints, to partisanship, no divisions, no polarizations, no finger pointing, no war on the free press, no replacements of the Cabinet members, no demonizing of the other countries!
Give us just the good old-fashioned solutions and results.
Please, let us conclude whether those constitute the winning or not.
No president should think on our behalf but just work for us!
We are smart enough to conclude on our own whether something is winning or not. If the President has to tell us that we are winning, then that’s not probably a case at all.
What would you think about any president informing us whether it is day or night, summer or winter, good or bad, winning or losing…
Candidate Trump promised he’d make so many great deals that we’d all get “tired of winning.”
We are already tired.
Please, from now on focus more on the wining our hearts and solving the problems…
No tweets, no complaints, to partisanship, no divisions, no polarizations, no finger pointing, no war on the free press, no replacements of the Cabinet members, no demonizing of the other countries!
Give us just the good old-fashioned solutions and results.
Please, let us conclude whether those constitute the winning or not.
No president should think on our behalf but just work for us!
We are smart enough to conclude on our own whether something is winning or not. If the President has to tell us that we are winning, then that’s not probably a case at all.
What would you think about any president informing us whether it is day or night, summer or winter, good or bad, winning or losing…
18
Frank Baum was prescient. The Wizard of Oz prefigured trump so nicely. A bunch of distracting lights and noise and smoke; preposterous claims and threats; no follow-through or delivery. The analogy breaks down, I guess, at the benevolent nature of the wizard...
24
I find it hard to use or hear the term 'President Trump'.
I prefer 'Pretender Trump'.
I prefer 'Pretender Trump'.
34
As a teacher, I wasn't a great fan of Michael Bloomberg...but he did hit it on the nose when he said, "He wants to run the country like he runs his business?!? God help us!!"
41
Commenters to several articles over the weeks have pointed out that this Trump debacle should settle once and for all that government cannot be run as a business. Thus being a successful business man or woman, i.e., being rich, does not qualify one for being president. Running a business is about making money. Running a country is about serving the public interest. It is a formidable ethical, moral and legal task. Traditionally the qualification for being president was many years of experience in serving the public interest. The Trump regime is the epitome of the corporate takeover of the country. This was so insidiously disguised, through lies and false pretenses, as sticking up for the little guys and gals that 33% of Americans are still blind to the deception. But one wonders, whatever made so many people ignore Trump's bad business record, ignore the fraud in his past (i.e., his university), ignore his unpaid workers? Whatever made poor and middle income people think that a rich business man was going to help them out economically? I don't want to stereotype rich business men, but the good ones have a record of social conscience; otherwise, while others have worked all their lives to concentrate as much wealth as possible in their own hands — this being the very problem that is widely recognized as impoverishing the 99%.
56
The critically salient question is who would win if we reran the election today, and I'm betting that Trump would still win over Hillary Clinton. America is seriously in decline and all the Trump defaming and resistance in the world won't do a thing to staunch our internal bleeding. It's time to change the focus to the critical few things that can bring us back together as Americans and rebuild the fabric of our society before it's too late.
7
Jack, you are wrong. Don't forget that Trump "won" only the Electoral College votes. That was because a total of about 82,000 votes in 3 States favored him.
Clinton had about 3 million more real votes than he did. Polls show that his approval rating is down a lot since the election. There are more people now who understand what a liar he is and would not vote for him.
Clinton had about 3 million more real votes than he did. Polls show that his approval rating is down a lot since the election. There are more people now who understand what a liar he is and would not vote for him.
31
"America is seriously in decline and all the Trump defaming and resistance in the world won't do a thing to staunch our internal bleeding."
America is seriously in decline because a known criminal and pathological liar is president and people like you will support him even if he shoots someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue.
America is seriously in decline because a known criminal and pathological liar is president and people like you will support him even if he shoots someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue.
25
Mr. Trump doesn't seem to have learned anything during his time in office. One thing he should have learned is that lying all the time about virtually everything is not a way to generate support or get legislation passed. Trump must have exhausted fact-checkers with his appalling lies. And it isn't only Trump lying. Sean Soicer and Sarah Huckabee Sanders had set new records for dishonesty. Vice President Pence has been very active in the lying arena.
The most amazing thing about Trump is his willingness to tell lies that will be immediately exposed. Trump is so estranged from the truth that he can't even arrange supervised visitation. His fellow Republicans, not exactly known for their own truthfulness, can't keep up with Trump's daily fabrications. They've begun to appear to be ready to give up on Trump, since his deal-making skills are nonexistent. Working with Democrats, something they've refused to do on most issues at least since Obama was elected, has suddenly seemed like the only way forward. However, to accomplish anything, Republicans will have to adopt a level of honesty that has been absent for decades. If they do that, everyone but Trump will benefit.
The most amazing thing about Trump is his willingness to tell lies that will be immediately exposed. Trump is so estranged from the truth that he can't even arrange supervised visitation. His fellow Republicans, not exactly known for their own truthfulness, can't keep up with Trump's daily fabrications. They've begun to appear to be ready to give up on Trump, since his deal-making skills are nonexistent. Working with Democrats, something they've refused to do on most issues at least since Obama was elected, has suddenly seemed like the only way forward. However, to accomplish anything, Republicans will have to adopt a level of honesty that has been absent for decades. If they do that, everyone but Trump will benefit.
19
DT's election has in way brought the unexpected to happen, getting Congress to start working together for the good of the nation . As divisive and as coarse as his presence in the WH is , it appears to have shaken some sense into those lawmakers to do what they were elected to do .
6
"A week before his inauguration, Mr. Trump said he had a plan “very much formulated down to the final strokes” to provide “insurance for everybody.”
That single sentence from this editorial should be splashed on billboards across the nation. Our problem is that we're buried in outrageous Trump statements and its hard to remember the truly egregious ones
That single sentence from this editorial should be splashed on billboards across the nation. Our problem is that we're buried in outrageous Trump statements and its hard to remember the truly egregious ones
35
Someone commented here on "harnessing the collective voices demanding change. Voices of the
POPULAR VOTE, NOT THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE .
harnessing those collective voices of the POPULAR VOTERS will be the greatest task of whomever takes the helm hence forth. Based on what we've just witnessed in DC re the healthcare debacle - its unlikely the answer will come from either political party. They DONT have the people 'a welfare / interest in mind. Only their re- election.
POPULAR VOTE, NOT THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE .
harnessing those collective voices of the POPULAR VOTERS will be the greatest task of whomever takes the helm hence forth. Based on what we've just witnessed in DC re the healthcare debacle - its unlikely the answer will come from either political party. They DONT have the people 'a welfare / interest in mind. Only their re- election.
7
This was so predictable and unnecessary. The notion that an autocratic businessman could be a successful president in a democracy was absurd, yet enough gullible and thoughtless people bought into it. Meanwhile, we get incompetence, corruption, polluted air and water, rejection of science and education, and who knows what to come.
38
"who knows what is to come"? If we are to believe political pundits, once Mr. Trump runs out of domestic distractions, he will focus on creating distractions overseas. A major war in Middle East would certainly push down all Russian collusion stories to the bottom of news pages (or to newspapers' back pages).
7
The REAL problem is : enough people out there bought into that false notion of a business man / president. Until we expose WHAT precisely attracted them to trump- and until we eliminate the archaic electoral college-
There's little chance for a sudstatual change once trump is gone.
Maybe the answer is a WIDE - BASED GRASSROOTS Movement. Who knows.
There's little chance for a sudstatual change once trump is gone.
Maybe the answer is a WIDE - BASED GRASSROOTS Movement. Who knows.
2
Our elected leaders don’t know how to solve the problems. They are just capable of escalating them.
That’s why we are in the conflict with the USSR/Russia from 1945, with the Palestinians and the Muslim world since 1948, with North Korea from 1950 and with Iran since 1953…
Domestically, they are trying to take the control of the health care since the New Deal (only two times higher cost per capita than in the other developed countries), the defense budget (equal to the combined spending of the next 20 largest militaries of the world) and the national debt (increased for $15 trillion over the last 15 years)…
There is only one remaining doubt regarding them - whether Jesus will return to the Earth faster than they rebuild the team spirit in our national capital…
That’s why we are in the conflict with the USSR/Russia from 1945, with the Palestinians and the Muslim world since 1948, with North Korea from 1950 and with Iran since 1953…
Domestically, they are trying to take the control of the health care since the New Deal (only two times higher cost per capita than in the other developed countries), the defense budget (equal to the combined spending of the next 20 largest militaries of the world) and the national debt (increased for $15 trillion over the last 15 years)…
There is only one remaining doubt regarding them - whether Jesus will return to the Earth faster than they rebuild the team spirit in our national capital…
3
The real problem is that "if" Trump is somehow removed from office, it will be back to normal. And there are fools out there that think "normal" is a good thing. The system desperately needs to be shaken up and changed. If not Trump, WHO? Clinton? Sanders? Warren? Do not kid yourself.
3
Change—disruption, even—is necessary...few thinking, informed, patriotic Americans disagree.
But certainly a cognitively impaired, demonstrably-incompetent pathological liar, notorious for fraudulent business practices, and famous for high-profile bankruptcies, reliant on the Kremlin for campaign and election support and who knows what else for some, possibly much, of his business and political traction IS NOT the change agent the greatest nation on Earth needs or deserves!
One thing's for sure—American politics won't change until we reestablish the primacy of facts and our people get educated about our nation, the Constitution, and the terribly real (and quantifiable) threats we face—including the ongoing acts of cyber and information warfare being waged against the US by Trump's greatest benefactor, Vladimir Vladmirovich Putin.
(Who knows, maybe necessary leadership will come from people like Ben Sasse, John Kasich, and Jeff Flake...)
But certainly a cognitively impaired, demonstrably-incompetent pathological liar, notorious for fraudulent business practices, and famous for high-profile bankruptcies, reliant on the Kremlin for campaign and election support and who knows what else for some, possibly much, of his business and political traction IS NOT the change agent the greatest nation on Earth needs or deserves!
One thing's for sure—American politics won't change until we reestablish the primacy of facts and our people get educated about our nation, the Constitution, and the terribly real (and quantifiable) threats we face—including the ongoing acts of cyber and information warfare being waged against the US by Trump's greatest benefactor, Vladimir Vladmirovich Putin.
(Who knows, maybe necessary leadership will come from people like Ben Sasse, John Kasich, and Jeff Flake...)
4
Let's remember that Trump was elected by the Electoral College, not by the majority of citizens.
Now, with Congress asserting control over DJT, the Constitutional checks and balances are coming into play. Trump's lies, threats, bravado, bullying, and intrigues will be duly recognized. And due diligence will prevail. Nevertheless, at a big cost for America, both at home and abroad.
We are all tiring of DJT's manipulative charade. What a shame that the collective energy cannot be put to better use than keeping track of the consequences of a tweeting narcissistic clown.
It really is time to abolish the Electoral College. And let's get back to a positive America.
Now, with Congress asserting control over DJT, the Constitutional checks and balances are coming into play. Trump's lies, threats, bravado, bullying, and intrigues will be duly recognized. And due diligence will prevail. Nevertheless, at a big cost for America, both at home and abroad.
We are all tiring of DJT's manipulative charade. What a shame that the collective energy cannot be put to better use than keeping track of the consequences of a tweeting narcissistic clown.
It really is time to abolish the Electoral College. And let's get back to a positive America.
26
"We are all tiring of DJT's manipulative charade."
True, but the best policy is to just ignore him, and that goes especially for the press. Trump is like Kim Jong Un, a child who is constantly seeking attention, and the media just keeps giving Trump what he craves.
"It really is time to abolish the Electoral College."
No, it's time for 48 states to abolish the "winner take all" aspect of awarding electors to the popular vote winner. The Constitution doesn't stipulate it; it's just that the Republicans and Democrats have rigged the system so that someone with a plurality of the popular vote can still get every state's electors. That was not the intent of the framers.
True, but the best policy is to just ignore him, and that goes especially for the press. Trump is like Kim Jong Un, a child who is constantly seeking attention, and the media just keeps giving Trump what he craves.
"It really is time to abolish the Electoral College."
No, it's time for 48 states to abolish the "winner take all" aspect of awarding electors to the popular vote winner. The Constitution doesn't stipulate it; it's just that the Republicans and Democrats have rigged the system so that someone with a plurality of the popular vote can still get every state's electors. That was not the intent of the framers.
7
It's not the Electoral College's fault DJT was elected, but the Democrats total lack of understanding of what they needed to do to be successful in the election. More attention the the swing states, that should have voted Dem. that were ignored or taken for granted might have resulted in a Dem. victory. Much more fault no the Dems. not the EC, This from a Dem. very disappointed.
3
I was surprised at the rather minimal backlash to trump's 17 day vacation, even though he stated multiple times in multiple ways (tweet, live and print interviews) that vacations aren't necessary, for reasons that include hating your job. His vacation is a benefit to everyone - no deals by anyone's definition, except the ongoing one between trump and the devil.
13
I haven't forgotten for a second, but I am so, so, tired of him I hope to get seventeen blessed days of relief. Most of us feel the same.
Fox Fake News loved tabulating the costs of Obama's vacations while they also pushed the birther movement. I don't know how Fox Fake News ever had time for real news when all they did was bash Obama. I suspect the Times is keeping a tally of Trump's trips somewhere. Look at all the tax dollars he's spent flying back and forth to Mar-A-Largo. I can't wait to see the final tally. And to idiots who want to say "give him a break, he's not taking a salary," the presidential salary is $400,000 a year. His trips to Florida are costing us two to three million a pop.
He's such a hypocrite, it's astounding. But what do you expect from a grifter?
Fox Fake News loved tabulating the costs of Obama's vacations while they also pushed the birther movement. I don't know how Fox Fake News ever had time for real news when all they did was bash Obama. I suspect the Times is keeping a tally of Trump's trips somewhere. Look at all the tax dollars he's spent flying back and forth to Mar-A-Largo. I can't wait to see the final tally. And to idiots who want to say "give him a break, he's not taking a salary," the presidential salary is $400,000 a year. His trips to Florida are costing us two to three million a pop.
He's such a hypocrite, it's astounding. But what do you expect from a grifter?
17
Start here: “The Art of the Deal.” Trump did not write this book. It was ghost-written and the person who did the writing couldn't get the so-called author to settle down long enough to get any accurate (not that you ever get accurate from Trump) information about what the art of the deal for Trump was. So the ghost writer had to create much of it. So citing "The Art of the Deal" as a book that demonstrates how the so-called author (not) was a great deal maker is like what? Oh, I know: fake news! Have we not learned enough to know that this horrid person--this 45th small letter "p" president--is all bluff. And has absolutely no substance???
19
Trump has always been a carnival barker selling snake oil (Trump University) and he will continue barking without any results.
10
My tag for politics is "The art of appearing relevant."
1
The Editorial Board appears to have forgotten that our so-called president is a liar, a crook, a traitor, an international laughingstock completely unqualified and unsuitable for the office he holds, a lawless grifter who was in violation of the emoluments clause (and a multitude of similar ethical rules) from the moment he was sworn in.
Does anyone not on the payroll of the GOP or Russian oligarchs still believe Trump can clean up his act and serve as if he were a legitimate (and legitimately elected) president?
What's the deal, New York Times?
Does anyone not on the payroll of the GOP or Russian oligarchs still believe Trump can clean up his act and serve as if he were a legitimate (and legitimately elected) president?
What's the deal, New York Times?
16
This very good editorial reminded me of the 1989 television ad on YouTube for Trump: The Game. (The original version of the board game is IMO an excellent strategy game, despite its commercial failure in the stores - which the President would never admit to, of course. The post-Apprentice version sold better but was a weak game).
The ad features an appearance by President Trump himself in a boardroom. The funny thing is right after President Trump was elected, original version copies of Trump: The Game were selling for several hundred dollars on Ebay. Now you can get one for 30 bucks (one advertises "60 percent price drop"; another, 40 percent.) That's a sign - and I bet Mr. Trump, for all his incompetence, knows it's not a good one.
Donald Trump's Trump: The Game commercial, 1989: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz7GRRvwCso
The ad features an appearance by President Trump himself in a boardroom. The funny thing is right after President Trump was elected, original version copies of Trump: The Game were selling for several hundred dollars on Ebay. Now you can get one for 30 bucks (one advertises "60 percent price drop"; another, 40 percent.) That's a sign - and I bet Mr. Trump, for all his incompetence, knows it's not a good one.
Donald Trump's Trump: The Game commercial, 1989: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz7GRRvwCso
7
To become president it appears Trump has made another deal, the ramifications of which are becoming all too apparent. Problem is this is the worst deal he could have made because he gave up his opportunity to bring about some of the most important changes in the political direction of this country. It is one thing to be president, but still quite another to honestly carry out the obligations of the office.
I'm delighted to see your editorial board call out the utter incompetence of President Trump. But it's time to take the next step and call for his removal from office as well, either via the 25th Amendment or impeachment. Every day he remains in the White House puts the US and perhaps even the world in jeopardy.
10
"I'm delighted to see your editorial board call out the utter incompetence of President Trump."
Me, too, but the Board should get a spine and call out Congress for their collective incompetence.
Me, too, but the Board should get a spine and call out Congress for their collective incompetence.
3
If the Democrats don't get their act together (installing a new and attentive leadership) the American nightmare will continue. In a short time there may not be a country or democracy left to regain.
8
One should congratulate Mr. Trump's spin doctors (which I assume includes Mr. Bannon) for spreading the notion that he is “unpredictable” and deliberately pursues erratic course of action in order to confuse America’s enemies. Obviously, what the spin doctors had in mind was to protect their own jobs as long as possible by inoculating Mr. Trump against his known blundering, erratic, behavior.
In politics, selling one's shortcoming as one's asset has a long history. What is new is to see much of the US media buying into this nonsense. Even today, someone on a Sunday morning TV show was pushing that very notion.
It is time to stop shying away from calling a spade a spade. Mr. Trump's erratic behavior and unpredictability are direct consequences of his utter incompetence. The inescapable fact is that he lacks the necessary qualifications to be in charge of the executive branch of the US government. And, unfortunately, those forming his inner circle are equally disqualified for that task.
In politics, selling one's shortcoming as one's asset has a long history. What is new is to see much of the US media buying into this nonsense. Even today, someone on a Sunday morning TV show was pushing that very notion.
It is time to stop shying away from calling a spade a spade. Mr. Trump's erratic behavior and unpredictability are direct consequences of his utter incompetence. The inescapable fact is that he lacks the necessary qualifications to be in charge of the executive branch of the US government. And, unfortunately, those forming his inner circle are equally disqualified for that task.
12
Mr Trump is not interested in legislation. He is interested in achieving greater personal wealth for him and his family even if it comes at a cost from his oblivious base. Mr Trump enjoys his campaign rallies and his television coverage. I am reminded when Junior approached Kasich with an offer to be Vice-president. Kasich would run the country but Trump would travel the country and "make it great again". Trump simply lacks the interest and the intellectual capability to be President. Leave that to Pence and now Kelly. And he can't make deals because he never could make deals with people he couldn't bully or outspent. 64% of us see behind the curtain and it isn't pretty.
12
Just to re-emphasize the failure of the media to take Mr. Trump to the task, one could point to Mr. Trump's expressions of admiration of Vladimir Putin during the last campaign. When in a debate (last September?) he was asked about his rational for calling Putin a better leader than Mr. Obama, Mr. Trump unashamedly touted Putin’s domestic poll ratings as the basis of Vlad’s sterling qualities.
I have yet to hear a single journalist ask Mr. Trump to use the same standard for assessing his own success in leadership, based on his own recent domestic poll rating.
I have yet to hear a single journalist ask Mr. Trump to use the same standard for assessing his own success in leadership, based on his own recent domestic poll rating.
11
The Congressional sanctions bill against Russia is wrong headed nonsense. This blind detestation of Putin is dangerous and very counter productive. In their effort to hurt Russia they have put our European allies France and Germany in a bad situation. This pointless dishonest on going effort to sell the public on the idea that Russia somehow stole the election for Trump seriously tarnishes the NYTs. The willful effort by the Congress to pile on insults to Russia is going to have a breaking point hurting everybody, not just the Russians.
3
The legislation would not have been necessary if Trump could be trusted when it comes to managing affairs with Russia. Even congress knows that he can't.
8
Has Trump taken credit yet for the fact that the solar eclipse is visiting ONLY the USA this month?
16
It is across the board. Take Secretary of State, as interviewed by the NYT:
“Decision-making is fragmented, and sometimes people don’t want to take decisions. Coordination is difficult through the interagency — has been for every administration.”
A top-notch corporate America executive still does not know that decisions are made. Not "taken".
No wonder that as an oil industry deal maker with strong men, he went from being expelled from Venezuela by Chavez to "I love Putin" and whatever he does. Good deals are not in the resumes of the president or his cabinet.
“Decision-making is fragmented, and sometimes people don’t want to take decisions. Coordination is difficult through the interagency — has been for every administration.”
A top-notch corporate America executive still does not know that decisions are made. Not "taken".
No wonder that as an oil industry deal maker with strong men, he went from being expelled from Venezuela by Chavez to "I love Putin" and whatever he does. Good deals are not in the resumes of the president or his cabinet.
9
You exposed your provincialism. Poor decision on your part. The mistake you make is that you take for granted that your idiosyncratic speech patterns are universal.
Remember on November 9 when the reality of Republican control of the WH and both chambers of Congress made it appear that anything and everything Trump would touch would turn to legislative gold?
Well, now that the bloom is off that rose, reality has set in, and shows in the manner in which Republicans are willing to distance themselves from Trump (see Jeff Flake's rebuke: http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/first-read/jeff-fl... in the manner in which they are willing to defy Trump (see Russia sanctions bill: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/02/trump-sig... and in the way they now demonstrate their willingness to work across the aisle to get things done (see health care reform: https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2017/08/01...
Given the hyper partisanship that has been the hallmark of the first six months of Trump's presidency, it is difficult to know whether or not Republicans can -- or want to -- sustain this push toward bipartisanship. But the simple fact of the matter is this: they now must rectify the perception that they cannot govern.
It now appears possible that having Trump as their foil will work to America's benefit, with America triumphing over party tribalism. "Time will tell."
Well, now that the bloom is off that rose, reality has set in, and shows in the manner in which Republicans are willing to distance themselves from Trump (see Jeff Flake's rebuke: http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/first-read/jeff-fl... in the manner in which they are willing to defy Trump (see Russia sanctions bill: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/02/trump-sig... and in the way they now demonstrate their willingness to work across the aisle to get things done (see health care reform: https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2017/08/01...
Given the hyper partisanship that has been the hallmark of the first six months of Trump's presidency, it is difficult to know whether or not Republicans can -- or want to -- sustain this push toward bipartisanship. But the simple fact of the matter is this: they now must rectify the perception that they cannot govern.
It now appears possible that having Trump as their foil will work to America's benefit, with America triumphing over party tribalism. "Time will tell."
5
It is time for Republicans to lead the way on imposing requirements that will make Mr. Trump think hard about whether he wants to continue his presidency. Subpoena his tax returns. Limit the financial benefits he can squeeze out of office. He is clearly not terribly concerned with governing, and he should be limited to that aspect of his tenure. If he chooses to stay on, fine. If he chooses to leave once he cannot make money off his administration, even better.
12
I know nothing of the art of making high power deals however I am familiar with deals proposed by grade school bullies. I am prone to presume that those are the tactics used by Trump and I am also convinced that in his youth he studied hard in the arts of forceful compliance. Trumps antics evoke those of Burt Lancaster in the films "Elmer Gantry" and "The Rainmaker" whose protagonist sole purpose in life was to flim-flam everyone. Trump flim-flamed his way to the Oval Office now let's see how his gets out of this without being run out on a rail.
25
Protege of Roy Cohen. Trump learned his lessons well. What do you expect?
Trump also distanced himself when Cohen contracted AIDS, was disbarred, disgraced and eventually died. That is the Trump brand of loyalty.
Trump also distanced himself when Cohen contracted AIDS, was disbarred, disgraced and eventually died. That is the Trump brand of loyalty.
4
Trump still has the war card in his deck. Does anyone doubt that he'd play it, if Mueller starts frog-marching top aides out of the White House, and he really starts to lose face? This guy will do anything, whatever it takes, to make himself feel good about himself. Sadly, too many 'Muricans would rally to his side for almost any military adventure. Trump, in the lizard core of his brain, knows this. General Kelly needs to keep an eye on that briefcase that holds the nuclear codes.
28
the deal is this: "you elect me and i will keep you entertained."
campaign promise fulfilled.
campaign promise fulfilled.
11
I think Mr Trump misread the teleprompter. He was supposed to say I'll whine so much you'll you'll say I'm tired of all this whining.
18
It is all very simple-Trump lies, brags, puts no effort into being President, and is simply incompetent.
25
Oh come on, NYT, you know that the only success Trump has had as a businessman has been laundering money for Russian oligarchs and Mafioso. The rest was bluster and lies believed by ill-informed foreigners and Hillary-hating Americans.
30
As for Trump....please let us know when this jerk accomplishes something...you know, like build a wall, 20% tariff on Chinese imports, repeal and replace Obamacare, tax reform, infrastructure repair.
9
I'm bummed out—I remain curious what it feels like to be tired of winning! Drat!
2
Like everything else about him, it was fake!
11
We need to stop entertaining intellectual curiosity items about this guy and hold him to account for doing everything from obstructing investigations to enriching himself by refusing to divest interests. His henchmen keep trying to normalize the abnormality of his behavior. Nothing about his time in office has been normal and nothing about him has changed. He is grossly incompetent and proves it daily. He is using the office to enrich himself and his spawn, and proves it daily.
33
Imposing the sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea is one of the worst moves in the long and sad history of our foreign policy blunders. There are few things potentially more detrimental to our national interests than such a childishly naïve reaction.
That’s an equivalent to punching somebody drunk in a bar. There is nothing good to come out of the massive brawl.
Getting the unanimous sanctions in the Security Council for the sanctions against North Korea is equally useless. China will vote for them to maintain the access to the US markets while simultaneously continuing undercover trading with the North Korean regime.
The sanctions only improve the relationship between Russia and Iran where Moscow will use Tehran to get even with us. They will masterfully support the Iranian regime to embarrass and humiliate our foreign interests in front of the world. We will use the harsh words to condemn their actions while they are going to continue doing whatever they want because we will not launch another all-out war. Tehran can mine and block the Hormuz Straits thus interrupting the international supply with oil. Washington D.C. will not start an all-out war with North Korea in order to protect Seoul. Pyongyang has already called out our bluff many times.
The sanctions will deliver the Russian oil, mineral and ore resources on a silver plate to Beijing thus strengthening our most dangerous economic competitor…
The sanctions were lose-lose-lose reaction!
That’s an equivalent to punching somebody drunk in a bar. There is nothing good to come out of the massive brawl.
Getting the unanimous sanctions in the Security Council for the sanctions against North Korea is equally useless. China will vote for them to maintain the access to the US markets while simultaneously continuing undercover trading with the North Korean regime.
The sanctions only improve the relationship between Russia and Iran where Moscow will use Tehran to get even with us. They will masterfully support the Iranian regime to embarrass and humiliate our foreign interests in front of the world. We will use the harsh words to condemn their actions while they are going to continue doing whatever they want because we will not launch another all-out war. Tehran can mine and block the Hormuz Straits thus interrupting the international supply with oil. Washington D.C. will not start an all-out war with North Korea in order to protect Seoul. Pyongyang has already called out our bluff many times.
The sanctions will deliver the Russian oil, mineral and ore resources on a silver plate to Beijing thus strengthening our most dangerous economic competitor…
The sanctions were lose-lose-lose reaction!
4
These sanctions may lead to war.
Trump was a "yuge" failure in business- bankrupting all the businesses his daddy helped him start.
He was given lines of script on his TV show.
Not surprising that he flunks politics, as well.
time to dump trump.
we beseech. we must impeach!
He was given lines of script on his TV show.
Not surprising that he flunks politics, as well.
time to dump trump.
we beseech. we must impeach!
12
How do we know Donald Trump is a great deal maker? Because he says so.
But looking at his history his greatest success came when he was young and when Manhattan real estate had hit bottom. Any idiot with a bank roll and gambler's luck did well when the market turned around. Donald then followed that with his foray into Atlantic City where his luck turned and bankruptcies followed. Since then his business history has been lackluster and filled with controversy, though his self promotion has been a success and gold plated.
Donald makes deals, but not great deals. Trump Air, Trump Vodka, Trump University, etc. - all gone bust. He even wrecked a football league when he convinced the fledgling USFL to bump heads with the NFL. He is most remarkable because when whatever ship he is on sinks, he stays dry though others drown.
Now this menace to ethics and good business has taken his act to Washington. He's going to drain the swamp, build a wall, make America great. But it is all a promotion with no real legislation, just like most of his business endeavors. He doesn't know a wit about government and is too consumed with fending off investigations into years of his shady finances.
Where are the deals? There are no deals, there never were. It was all a promotion, and the GOP and the rest of Washington is waking up to the fact.
But looking at his history his greatest success came when he was young and when Manhattan real estate had hit bottom. Any idiot with a bank roll and gambler's luck did well when the market turned around. Donald then followed that with his foray into Atlantic City where his luck turned and bankruptcies followed. Since then his business history has been lackluster and filled with controversy, though his self promotion has been a success and gold plated.
Donald makes deals, but not great deals. Trump Air, Trump Vodka, Trump University, etc. - all gone bust. He even wrecked a football league when he convinced the fledgling USFL to bump heads with the NFL. He is most remarkable because when whatever ship he is on sinks, he stays dry though others drown.
Now this menace to ethics and good business has taken his act to Washington. He's going to drain the swamp, build a wall, make America great. But it is all a promotion with no real legislation, just like most of his business endeavors. He doesn't know a wit about government and is too consumed with fending off investigations into years of his shady finances.
Where are the deals? There are no deals, there never were. It was all a promotion, and the GOP and the rest of Washington is waking up to the fact.
23
Unlike obamaca re no one is forced to buy trump vodka or play on one of his golf courses.
The only trade deal Trump concluded was: We get putrid Chinese chickens and the Chinese get our filet mignon. My only concern is that the polluted farm products from China get into the dog food supply chain and hurt my dog "Skip".
8
After reading so many eloquent and smart observations by so many incisive minds (journalists and average citizens alike), I'm left with two words to describe Donald (I can't call him "the President"). Two words that, while not eloquent nor incisive, seem like a distillation of the man: sad, pathetic. What's concerning is that this sad and pathetic man is doing so much harm to the rest of us.
22
The NYT is trying to take out the President that WE THE PEOPLE elected. The rally at WV showed just how FAR out of touch the NYT is with the country. NYT is irrelevant, and should be ashamed of trying to run the President the COUNTRY elected out of office. We are ALL IN, and support his Supreme Court pick, deregulation, pipelines, tax reform and YES health care. This paper is so unbelievably biased it is not worth wrapping fish in
5
All the NYT is doing is exposing a grifter. What's wrong with that?
1
Why then, are you reading this paper? Seriously. There must be something here that resonates with you. Are you afraid the NYT will finally -- once and for all -- get to the truth about the extent to which the Russian government actually got this imposter elected rather than "we the people?" And don't forget -- "we the people" includes all of us. Not just you.
3
Those rallies are only attended by like-minded people and show how out of touch Trump and his worshipers are.
And no, we the majority of the people did not elect Trump. Stop deluding yourselves. He won the electoral vote, no the popular vote. He might have won technically but not mathematically.
We do not all support his appointments and proposals. You are in denial if you truly believes he speaks for ALL of us. He obviously does not. Why are you even reading NYT? You need to get out more.
And no, we the majority of the people did not elect Trump. Stop deluding yourselves. He won the electoral vote, no the popular vote. He might have won technically but not mathematically.
We do not all support his appointments and proposals. You are in denial if you truly believes he speaks for ALL of us. He obviously does not. Why are you even reading NYT? You need to get out more.
4
His past deals were all swindling others who believed in this thug and got burnt. Banks will no longer lend because their money will be swallowed. Come, Russia with Putin's goading money was given to this fella for money laundering etc. All these illegal activities will become public if his tax returns are made public He is totally unfit to be President not just of US but even for any company. He knows it and that makes him whining constantly. Our nation is under a curse now. No past President was as bad as this one.
14
All he knows is money, lets of it, because his father, Fred, reared him on what money can do. Now Donald also knows nothing more than what money will do. The rest of us know money isn't the know all and end all, but it's too late to educate Donald to the nicer things of life, such as politeness. He can only roam and spout bushels of nothingness. What I want to know is the reason all the female reporters treat him with ease. Are they afraid of what he might do to them?
7
45th became POTUS just to enrich himself and his family. Nothing else.
8
You guys just HATE the legitimate president of the United States. Oppose him, but not destroy him. HATE
goes always badly.
goes always badly.
3
On the contrary, no I don't hate President Trump. I distrust him and expect he'll leave this country (and by extension, all of us) in worse shape than when he took office.
I have very little good to say about Trump the private citizen - he's an egotistical evil, unprincipled bully. When he was elected, I said I'd judge Trump the president, by what he says and does as president.
So far the results have not been encouraging.
I have very little good to say about Trump the private citizen - he's an egotistical evil, unprincipled bully. When he was elected, I said I'd judge Trump the president, by what he says and does as president.
So far the results have not been encouraging.
5
I don't like incompetence in the White House.
I really don't like the cult that tolerates it.
I really don't like the cult that tolerates it.
3
How many win-win deals do you think Mr. Trump has negotiated in his lifetime. He's a bully. I'd never do business with someone like him. Just walk away.
5
... just as US banks did in droves!
2
Judging Trump by any criteria other than psychological wellness is a waste of time.
2
So, the deals are simply to get others to state fiction, so that his failures and shortcomings are not exposed, E.g.: Lockheed giving him credit for savings "that were already in the pipeline?"
2
It's sad but encouraging that you only find common sense and honestly in the comments publisehed by this newspaper.
The reality is this newspaper won't publish simple statements about Trump in its columns. It leaves that to the ordinary people who read this paper and want to contribute to the argument. It's bizarre really.
We have to correctly identify who was responsible for Trump being elected and I think the focus of the blame has to sit with this newspaper.
TV news still follows the newspapers. Mainstream politicians still focus on newspapers. Trump is the first cable news politician in history.
How is it that this paper did not focus all of it's attention on forcing America to admit the truth about Trump?
What should have happened is that voters should have been reminded about the reality of Donald Trump every time he was mentioned:
"Self-confested repeat sex offender Donald Trump tweeted today..."
"Multiple bankrupt and failed businessman Donald Trump..."
"The openly racist real estate developer Donald Trump..."
"The five deferment draft dodger Donald Trump..."
"The incoherent and apparently mentally impaired 70 year old Donald Trump..."
We all knew the many truths about Donald Trump that make him unfit for public office before the election. Why was he treated as if none of that was relevant by this newspaper?
Stop acting as if his election wiped away the reality of this man's life.
He is not fit for office and this newspaper should print that every day.
The reality is this newspaper won't publish simple statements about Trump in its columns. It leaves that to the ordinary people who read this paper and want to contribute to the argument. It's bizarre really.
We have to correctly identify who was responsible for Trump being elected and I think the focus of the blame has to sit with this newspaper.
TV news still follows the newspapers. Mainstream politicians still focus on newspapers. Trump is the first cable news politician in history.
How is it that this paper did not focus all of it's attention on forcing America to admit the truth about Trump?
What should have happened is that voters should have been reminded about the reality of Donald Trump every time he was mentioned:
"Self-confested repeat sex offender Donald Trump tweeted today..."
"Multiple bankrupt and failed businessman Donald Trump..."
"The openly racist real estate developer Donald Trump..."
"The five deferment draft dodger Donald Trump..."
"The incoherent and apparently mentally impaired 70 year old Donald Trump..."
We all knew the many truths about Donald Trump that make him unfit for public office before the election. Why was he treated as if none of that was relevant by this newspaper?
Stop acting as if his election wiped away the reality of this man's life.
He is not fit for office and this newspaper should print that every day.
9
At least he is not a conman like Barack Hussein Obama.
("You can keep your doctor"—and a lot more).
Or, as the late NY Times columnist William Safire wrote about Hillary Clinton, "a congenital liar."
And he is rich so he doesn't take any salary.
3
Donald J. Trump ISN'T a con man?
Tell that to every investor he ever fleeced in one of his many bankruptcies.
Tell that to yourself as you read the transcripts of him telling the Mexican president he understands Mexico could never pay for the wall.
Tell that to the Carrier employees in Indiana who are losing their jobs anyway.
Tell that to all the students swindled by Trump University's fake education.
Tell that to anyone who thinks Trump wrote The Art of the Deal.
And most importantly...
Tell that to the grand jury!
(And BTW, there's something even worse than a con man and that's a liar who collaborates with an enemy foreign power to tip an American Presidential election. There are specific words for that sort of a person, but let's wait to use it until after we see what evidence Bob Mueller has uncovered, first.)
Tell that to every investor he ever fleeced in one of his many bankruptcies.
Tell that to yourself as you read the transcripts of him telling the Mexican president he understands Mexico could never pay for the wall.
Tell that to the Carrier employees in Indiana who are losing their jobs anyway.
Tell that to all the students swindled by Trump University's fake education.
Tell that to anyone who thinks Trump wrote The Art of the Deal.
And most importantly...
Tell that to the grand jury!
(And BTW, there's something even worse than a con man and that's a liar who collaborates with an enemy foreign power to tip an American Presidential election. There are specific words for that sort of a person, but let's wait to use it until after we see what evidence Bob Mueller has uncovered, first.)
5
He does not take a salary and neither do his daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared. What they do is fleece the government with their over-charging over-spending (in security alone) and inside track to making deals. He is profiting from his various businesses because he will not divest. The amount of salary he donates is just a fraction of what he has cut from the budget, but it makes good optics and fools gullible people.
4
It can be objectively proven, just citing his comments from any single day, that Donald J. Trump's dishonesty is way more congenital than that of almost any other public figure in American history—including Richard Nixon and Fox News!
1
The GOP promised to repeal Obamacare for seven years - long before Donald Trump ever announced his candidacy.
There were no "ifs" "ands" or "buts" or any qualifications to that pledge.
All the GOP had to do was vote the same way they had voted the last seven years and President Trump would have signed the legislation and the Obamacare monstrosity would have ended forever.
Instead the GOP punted. It was "Read My Lips No New Taxes" yet again.
How is Donald Trump to blame for slimy politicians who go back on their solemn word without even so much as bushing?
There were no "ifs" "ands" or "buts" or any qualifications to that pledge.
All the GOP had to do was vote the same way they had voted the last seven years and President Trump would have signed the legislation and the Obamacare monstrosity would have ended forever.
Instead the GOP punted. It was "Read My Lips No New Taxes" yet again.
How is Donald Trump to blame for slimy politicians who go back on their solemn word without even so much as bushing?
2
It takes two sides to make a deal.
Schumer made it clear from the beginning that he would wage a scorched Earth policy against Trump.
Ryan and McConnell have proven themselves incapable of leading the GOP.
Trump - unlike the hapless John Kerry - has said many times that he will walk away from the negotiating table if he cannot get a good deal.
The Establishment loves deals for their own sake no matter how bad they are.
Schumer made it clear from the beginning that he would wage a scorched Earth policy against Trump.
Ryan and McConnell have proven themselves incapable of leading the GOP.
Trump - unlike the hapless John Kerry - has said many times that he will walk away from the negotiating table if he cannot get a good deal.
The Establishment loves deals for their own sake no matter how bad they are.
1
You conveniently ignore McConnell's scorched earth policy during 8 years of the Obama administration. Did you complain about Republican lack of willingness to negotiate then? If not, you have no business complaining now. If you did, then why not acknowledge the role Republicans played in this ongoing stalemate?
We've seen Trump's negotiating style, and it's not very impressive. You can walk away from negotiations permanently if you don't like a business deal. It isn't the same when governing, but Trump has yet to show he knows this.
We've seen Trump's negotiating style, and it's not very impressive. You can walk away from negotiations permanently if you don't like a business deal. It isn't the same when governing, but Trump has yet to show he knows this.
15
Where is Schumer's pledge that his sole aim is to make trump a one term president? McConnell has already set the example following suit with the most aggressive filibustering campaign in US history declaring that all Obama legislation should be blocked regardless of merit. Come on Schumer get with it!
3
There is a very tight connection between Trump's complete inability to manage his inherited wealth and Russiagate. After multiple bankruptcies, no US bank would lend him a dime. Then in stepped the Russian investors linked to Putin.
Mueller must demand Trump's full and detailed financial disclosure. The only way to know what is going on is to follow the money. Tax returns are high likely to be revealing, thus the secrecy. He must continue to investigate Trump's financial ties to the Russian's and Putin via the Bank of Cyprus, Deutsche Bank, Russian investors in his property. Perhaps Trump will need to cut a deal with the Special Counsel.
Mueller must demand Trump's full and detailed financial disclosure. The only way to know what is going on is to follow the money. Tax returns are high likely to be revealing, thus the secrecy. He must continue to investigate Trump's financial ties to the Russian's and Putin via the Bank of Cyprus, Deutsche Bank, Russian investors in his property. Perhaps Trump will need to cut a deal with the Special Counsel.
10
It's sad that such a large swath of the American public like "words" and breezy promises and can't ground themselves enough to think for themselves. As long as they continue to feed themselves on too much unhealthy food, too much TV, and empty unfulfilled dreams based on the delusion that the rich pariah in the sky will deliver, we will continue to have political hacks that cater to the men behind the curtain, and ridiculous campaign seasons like we just had to endure where the bar was dropped so low as to what was passable and plausible to be called debate and discussion. It was utterly appalling. Embarrassing. Reality TV. We got what we deserved with this one. A reality TV star. Who has no sense of reality, and more tragically does not care. We have a participatory gov't and what we got was people not showing up to vote because it wasn't ideal or voting based on venom and anger. A recipe for disaster.
7
For Trump and his supporters, someone else is always at fault. Hillary. The deep administrative state. Immigrants. LGBT. Fake news. NAFTA. TPP. They are simply unable to look into a mirror and see that the fault is there.
11
Remember who the leader of the Senate is. Mitch McConnell. Years and years of obstruction, and inability to do anything more than tear things down. A big flat nothing.
Boehner (Dean Martin) was in the position now occupied by one issue, Ryan. Throw in Cruz and Gingrich whose best accomplishments are shutting down the ball game and emptying the stadium.
Trump simply continues this Republican tradition.
Boehner (Dean Martin) was in the position now occupied by one issue, Ryan. Throw in Cruz and Gingrich whose best accomplishments are shutting down the ball game and emptying the stadium.
Trump simply continues this Republican tradition.
9
Contrary to what this article states, the job market has been very robust under President Trump. Many jobs have been created and the stock market has been soaring. Americans have seen their 401Ks growing and salaries increasing.
One very important triumph for President Trump was the appointment of Neal Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. Important cases are once again being brought before the court for completion. With any luck, he will be able to appointment another justice as competent as Mr. Gorsuch during his term.
President Trump has tried to fix the healthcare system but some in his own party have stymied his efforts. They have voted against the party majority. They certainly have tried and I am sure it is not the last we have heard on this issue. He is working on tax reform and with the help of both parties he should be able to pass his bill. They must work with him also.
President Trump has not had an easy time while in office. He has had a media that has loathed him and liberals that hate him. They have talked of impeachment and removing him from office from the moment he became elected. It has only become stronger and meaner. They are relentless on their attacks and we have never seen anything like this hatred before. They criticize his every move and find fault every waking hour. They will not accept him as our president but he won honestly and fairly. When will they stop with this vicious rhetoric. It needs to end now for the sake of America.
One very important triumph for President Trump was the appointment of Neal Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. Important cases are once again being brought before the court for completion. With any luck, he will be able to appointment another justice as competent as Mr. Gorsuch during his term.
President Trump has tried to fix the healthcare system but some in his own party have stymied his efforts. They have voted against the party majority. They certainly have tried and I am sure it is not the last we have heard on this issue. He is working on tax reform and with the help of both parties he should be able to pass his bill. They must work with him also.
President Trump has not had an easy time while in office. He has had a media that has loathed him and liberals that hate him. They have talked of impeachment and removing him from office from the moment he became elected. It has only become stronger and meaner. They are relentless on their attacks and we have never seen anything like this hatred before. They criticize his every move and find fault every waking hour. They will not accept him as our president but he won honestly and fairly. When will they stop with this vicious rhetoric. It needs to end now for the sake of America.
2
If he was competent in office, he could overcome criticism. If he was honest, he would not need to worry about investigations. If he had won fairly, he might still not be liked, but he would be respected as President.
9
Do you know anything about Trump's personal history?
He is hated because he is an ignorant, reckless, amoral liar who is unworthy of respect. Those of us who are appalled and ashamed that he occupies the White House are deeply worried about the harm he is doing and will do to our families, our nation, international relationships, and the planet.
Did you ever see the multitudes that poured into the streets in NYC for days to protest his election? New Yorkers know who he really is.
He is hated because he is an ignorant, reckless, amoral liar who is unworthy of respect. Those of us who are appalled and ashamed that he occupies the White House are deeply worried about the harm he is doing and will do to our families, our nation, international relationships, and the planet.
Did you ever see the multitudes that poured into the streets in NYC for days to protest his election? New Yorkers know who he really is.
3
We need to stop writing intellectual curiosity articles about him and hold him to account for doing everything from obstructing investigations to enriching himself by refusing to divest interests. The GOP dominated congress will obviously not do anything which makes them culpable. The people themselves need to rise up vigorously to oppose this evil clown and the GOP which through blantant gerrymandering and tampering with voting rights and mechanisms to colluding with Russian meddling have become quite adept at stealing elections.
9
As the article points out: it's hard to make sense of Trump's logic. When you add to his scattered style of speaking (and thinking), his matchless bent toward lying, understanding him becomes virtually impossible (a benefit to those manipulating the truth).
The "Deal" is an old cliche: you attract more bees with honey than vinegar. His approach to negotiation is acidic: using his power in order to bully. As a realtor, his power was wealth; as president, he has the power of the office.
He can't make good on his deceitful campaign promises because they all involve maneuvering money, mostly in a fair way, which disturbs the
conservation of wealth for the rich (the poor don't have it to conserve).
Meaningful, desperately needed attention to national infrastructure and affordable healthcare requires using tax dollars in a judicious, fair way to provide for the public good. This requires a fairly graduated income tax rate in which those of means pay their fair share of taxes to maintain the democratic union that provided them the opportunity to be able to accumulate capital. Socialism, you say? That's the basis upon which our transportation system, healthcare system, educational system, library system, et al, has always been based. Affordable drugs means upset businesses.
All our necessary change cannot come about if tax cuts come to fruition. Research shows tax cuts do NOT equal improved economy.
Tax cuts
They all involve money
Questionable deals and bankruptcies
The "Deal" is an old cliche: you attract more bees with honey than vinegar. His approach to negotiation is acidic: using his power in order to bully. As a realtor, his power was wealth; as president, he has the power of the office.
He can't make good on his deceitful campaign promises because they all involve maneuvering money, mostly in a fair way, which disturbs the
conservation of wealth for the rich (the poor don't have it to conserve).
Meaningful, desperately needed attention to national infrastructure and affordable healthcare requires using tax dollars in a judicious, fair way to provide for the public good. This requires a fairly graduated income tax rate in which those of means pay their fair share of taxes to maintain the democratic union that provided them the opportunity to be able to accumulate capital. Socialism, you say? That's the basis upon which our transportation system, healthcare system, educational system, library system, et al, has always been based. Affordable drugs means upset businesses.
All our necessary change cannot come about if tax cuts come to fruition. Research shows tax cuts do NOT equal improved economy.
Tax cuts
They all involve money
Questionable deals and bankruptcies
2
It is demoralizing on a frightening level that those voters who "...didn't like Hillary...", or those who thought "...Trump would bring back coal...", or, worse, those who found Trump's political irreverence seductive - which really translated into crass mud slinging racism, name calling and a scornful disregard for facts - could not have anticipated the total ineptitude and mendacity of this so-called administration. Would these same citizens also choose to board a flight where the pilot is one with no training and no experience, placed in the left seat and told to fly the plane, fueled only by an enormous ego and not much else? Guess what? They did exactly that and the crash landing is imminent and will be painful. Perhaps the only plus will be the American people finally appreciating the utter lack of integrity of too many members of the Republican Congress eager to sit at Trump's table for political expedience, selling their souls in the process.
8
So why haven't all republicans agreed to impeach and remove trump?
3
Trump really only has the negotiation arsenal of a mafia don--he bullies ahead of the agreement, and reneges after the deal is made. I'm not at all surprised that he has no major successes in the legislative realm: it's really only his way or the highway. When you are the head of a family-owned and run enterprise that can work (especially with a huge war chest behind you), but not when you are 1/3 of a US government, and also at odds with 4th estate.
4
I have noticed during my 70 years on Earth that people who mock disabled folks are usually incompetent and lack any leadership skills. I don't count inheriting a NYC real estate empire with its power network a skill.
12
What cause people, Trump's supporters, to want to "stick it" to truth, beauty, and goodness? That is the question I keep asking myself.
6
@AVR
re "I guess the booming record breaking stock market and record low unemployment rates are something the Editorial Board would prefer to ignore."
Then why does trump keep saying "I inherited a mess"?
"A mess"? Sure ... it's Obama's fault is it that he handed Trump a lousy economy that had created 16.5 million jobs? If you have near full employment, rising stock markets, strongest dollar in some time, rising consumer confidence, lowest uninsured percentage . . . What's the mess he inherited?
Dow Jones going from 7,949 to 17,735
S & P 500 going from 683 to 2040
Unemployment down from 7.8% to 4.9%
GDP Growth up from -5.4% to 2.2%
Deficit GDP% down from 9.8% to 2.8%
Consumer Confidence up from 37.7 to 97.6
Uninsured Adults down from 18% to 11.8%
American cars sold up from 10.4m to 17.5m
This is what Trump inherited. He has created his own mess because he can’t grasp the magnitude and complexity of the job.
re "I guess the booming record breaking stock market and record low unemployment rates are something the Editorial Board would prefer to ignore."
Then why does trump keep saying "I inherited a mess"?
"A mess"? Sure ... it's Obama's fault is it that he handed Trump a lousy economy that had created 16.5 million jobs? If you have near full employment, rising stock markets, strongest dollar in some time, rising consumer confidence, lowest uninsured percentage . . . What's the mess he inherited?
Dow Jones going from 7,949 to 17,735
S & P 500 going from 683 to 2040
Unemployment down from 7.8% to 4.9%
GDP Growth up from -5.4% to 2.2%
Deficit GDP% down from 9.8% to 2.8%
Consumer Confidence up from 37.7 to 97.6
Uninsured Adults down from 18% to 11.8%
American cars sold up from 10.4m to 17.5m
This is what Trump inherited. He has created his own mess because he can’t grasp the magnitude and complexity of the job.
23
The natural history of economic recessions in the US is that they all resolve. In fact, we've had 47 of them. Obama presided over the slowest recovery in US history dating back to the Great Depression - with the weakest results. Wages stagnated over the 8 years Obama was president and never rebounded. Which is why Trump won. If things were as "great" as you would have us believe about the Obama presidency, surely Donald Trump would not be president right now, right?
More than half of us remembered about Trump's bankruptcies and shady business deals, which means that most of us were not taken in. We knew that character matters and behavior tends to remain consistent over time. Unfortunately, for reasons that I fail to understand, the Electoral College forgot.
18
In a successful business deal, all parties benefit to the point that they'd choose to work together again. It's telling, then, that no one wants to work with Trump twice.
17
I guess the booming record breaking stock market and record low unemployment rates are something the Editorial Board would prefer to ignore. Middle class Americans,however, are not. You know - those folks who voted President Trump into office.
3
funny how how the economy has "boomed" under trump but was a bust under obama even though he presided over eight years of constant job gains and a falling unemployment rate. the glass as they say is either half empty or half full depending on who's looking.
3
The items you mention are in no way what-so-ever due to any action(s) of Trump, they are a natural growth of eight years of Obama.
12
The Dow rose 140 percent under President Obama, nearly 10 million non-farm jobs were added during his two administrations, corporate profits were up 166% and the unemployment rate dropped three points from the time he was inaugurated until he left office. Trump supporters prefer to ignore those numbers and give the current president credit for the economic progress achieved under his
predecessor--progress that continues today.
predecessor--progress that continues today.
14
Constant tweeting, no press conferences, only rallies with supporters. Will only go to his own properties (hotels restaurants). Sounds like agoraphobia. Which is often, but not always, compounded by a fear of social embarrassment, as the agoraphobic fears the onset of a panic attack and appearing distraught in public. The man was never qualified to be President.
17
Making a move in the chess is just a part of the game. There is nothing brilliant about making any move. Opponent’s reaction and strategy will determine whether it was good or bad. Of course, whoever makes a move always believes it to be in his best interest. That’s generally the case only in a half of instances. Instead of being recklessly self-congratulatory it’s better to reexamine whether the opponents can exploit it. A single wrong move can be easily compensated for. A bunch of them leads to the lost game!
3
There are brilliant moves in chess that can win a game or save one from defeat. There are also disastrous moves in chess (called blunders) that can immediately lose a game.
2
The only deal Trump made was with himself. It was to get into the White House at all costs. Now that he's there he does nothing but Tweet, waste time, lie, lie, and lie some more. Come to think of it, that's what he did before. But enough people voted for him to occupy the White House and be president so unless he does something absolutely reprehensible he will be president until January 2021 at the very least. It doesn't matter that he or the entire GOP are a disgrace to the country, have no interest in 99% of us. All that mattered was the glitter, the loudmouth, and the hot air that contained the words enough Americans wanted to hear: Make America Great Again. But for whom and how?
What we have running the country now are people who have no interest in cooperation, in us, or in improving America for us. They see dollar signs in front of them, millions of them and they want those dollars for themselves and the businesses that lobby them. GOP = Grossly Overpaid Penguins with an overinflated sense of entitlement.
What we have running the country now are people who have no interest in cooperation, in us, or in improving America for us. They see dollar signs in front of them, millions of them and they want those dollars for themselves and the businesses that lobby them. GOP = Grossly Overpaid Penguins with an overinflated sense of entitlement.
25
There is increasing evidence that Trump's deal with the Republican Party is fragmenting. To my mind a great recent story that has received far too little emphasis: The GOP leadership so little trusts Trump that it felt compelled to assure that Trump cannot make recess appointments. This action has no precedents. The majoritarian party in the legislature has never obstructed their party's president in such a manner.
22
Were he truly a talented negotiator, Mr. Trump would have realized when he took office that the Democrats were not the outcasts but his strongest lever in negotiations. As a populist - not a Republican - he owed little to anyone. Had he a clear agenda, and not a convoluted series of campaign promises, he would have brought the Democrats in anytime he didn't see what he wanted from the Republicans. He, more than anyone, had the power to leverage the center of each party to enact legislation. Perhaps he still does. Unfortunately, Mr. Trump is neither a negotiator nor visionary. He wants only wins. Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan, with majorities in each house, promised him wins. Now, he has neither policy nor wins, and as the editorial points out, he's left to watching the parade.
28
You make a very valid point. Trump could have made a broad gesture to the Democrats in the beginning by putting forth Merrick Garland's name for the Supreme Court.
13
No -he actually KEEPS his promises and picked someone from the 21 people he SAID he would. He isn't a Democrat (Lying political hack)
1
The only "leverage" DT knows is using other peoples money.
Now he thinks diving head first into the extreme right end of the pool is his genie in the bottle.
Now he thinks diving head first into the extreme right end of the pool is his genie in the bottle.
2
President Trump promised he’d make so many great deals that we’d all get “tired of winning.” He’s certainly left Americans feeling worn out, but not because of any transactional whirlwind.
And I'm still waiting for those eight years of Obama's hope to finally kick in. They all lie to get in.
And I'm still waiting for those eight years of Obama's hope to finally kick in. They all lie to get in.
Perhaps you've been cave dwelling for 8 years. 15 million + jobs were created and unemployment dropped from near 10% to under 5% during 8 years under Obama. Trump inherited that. The stock market has been rising from below 7000 to over 19,000 during 8 years under Obama. Trump inherited that. The ACA even with it's flaws works. That is why it can't just be repealed. Obama put health care on the table which in and of itself is a monumental achievement. Trump had a chance to put his stamp on healthcare by fixing the flaws. Trump failed. To use a tired old cliche "You can't see the forrest for the trees."
9
Presidents should not have legislative agendas. The Constitution doesn’t give them legislative power, except for the veto. They can’t introduce legislation or vote in favor or against bills. The “Take Care Clause of the Constitution” tasks president to “take care that laws are faithfully executed.” If presidents stuck to the powers granted them by the Constitution, presidential elections wouldn’t be filled with such fear and loathing. Senators represent their stares while representatives represent the people of the United States. Presidents aren’t supposed to represent the people; they are supposed to ensure laws passed by the people’s representatives are faithfully executed. This is why presidents are elected by the electoral college instead of the popular vote. Americans who despised Donald Trump voted for him because they expect him to sign rather than veto bills passed a Republican-dominated Congress while eliminating rules, regulations and executive orders written by the previous administration.
7
...take care that FEDERAL laws are faithfully executed..."
2
"[Trump's] certainly left Americans feeling worn out, but not because of any transactional whirlwind."
The fact a Trump presidency even exists shows that America has been worn out for a long time.
The fact a Trump presidency even exists shows that America has been worn out for a long time.
17
Trump is great only about one thing: he knows how to thrive on people gullibility.
18
Welll...and self promotion...he's pretty darned skilled and determined about himself
1
He campaigned in part on the premise that the U.N. is a worthless organization and that only he had the deal-making talent to solve the world's problems. He insisted, for example, that the North Korea problem would be solved by China, thinking all it would take is to simply tell China to fix it and they would bow to his negotiating brilliance. Then he was surprised to learn from the Chinese - "who knew?" - that it's "a complex issue." And today we read about Trump taking credit for the unanimous U.N. vote for sanctions against North Korea. Yes, just as his ineptitude with Congress is bringing Republicans and Democrats together, the world is also learning to work together on common interests, because they no longer trust or respect American leadership.
14
During his campaign, Trump lied, bragged and promised the moon. He may have believed that as president, all he’d have to do was wave the magic presidential wand and voila, deals galore. All strutting, self aggrandizing and lying aside, now he has the job and is confronted with reality. Over and over, we see him chaff against the limits of presidential power like a moth batting against an electric light, but the limits hold. On top of this, Trump is a lazy CEO without actual plans or ideas. He is not driving this truck. What a surprise.
For all the baseless boasting, wishful thinking, all the baroque lying and wither his supporters ever loose faith him or not, Trump’s presidency is showing itself to be a Ponzi scheme. Its more than high time that Congress shows some signs of life.
For all the baseless boasting, wishful thinking, all the baroque lying and wither his supporters ever loose faith him or not, Trump’s presidency is showing itself to be a Ponzi scheme. Its more than high time that Congress shows some signs of life.
12
Trump is first a promotor, he's made a career of creating a perception that his name has value. But in actuality, it's just made up, mythology. Now as president, he still sounds like a used car salesman eggagerating his items worth with lies. When he's called out, it's always "fake news". These are very anxious times for our nation, so by neutering Trumps power, Congress has at least given us a mild sedative.
11
Trump needs a reminder that he really didn't write "The Art of the Deal" and he really isn't qualified to be President. BTW I don't see any winning.
14
We know he didn't write "The Art of the Deal" but did he actually read it?
2
It appears doubtful that Trump ever read the book he claims to have written.
5
I have no qualms with this article, but as I was reading it, I had this blossoming awareness; "Wow, look how we are talking about the President of the United States!". It's almost beyond comprehension that we have come to this.
17
I'm afraid many world leaders are having the same reaction.
4
Cant speak for what his deal is, but The Donald has supplied us with a lot of unintended lessons in civics and history:
•Primaries and debates
•Free Press
•Fact checking
•Social Media
•Popular vote vs. Electorial College
•The Cabinet and their budgets
•POTUS Special Consulors
•USSC
•The Constitution
•Walls
•NATO, and our allies
•Global Warming
•Tax returns
•Press secretary briefings
•Emoluments Clause
•Executive Memo verses real legislation
•Health care is hard...
•Calling your Congressmen
•Town halls
•How bills are made
•Russia, hacking, bots, and our election intervention
•Collusion
•Data mining (who left that RNC data door open?)
•Recusal
•FBI independence
•Special Council Robert Mueller
•Senate Hearings
•Grand Jury
•Obstruction of Justice
•Standard form 86
•Watergate (follow the money)
...now we add follow the data
•Money laundering
•Party ahead of Country
•Impeachment
Add life and ethics lessons:
•Truth and lies
•Bankruptcy(s)
•Emperor has no clothes
•Ignorance defense
•Lessons of Kindergarten
•7 Deadly Sins
•Corruption of power
•Tweets and the tweeters who tweet them
•Hypocrisy
•Sexual abuse
•Misogyny
•Bullying
•Nepotism
•Racism
•Homophobia
•Nepotism
•Xenophobia
•Dystopianism
•Every "ism", and "obia"
And some sad overused phrases:
•Fake news
•Double down
•Statements starting with "trust me", "believe me"
•Walk it back
•Alternative Facts
•False narrative
•Nexus
•Punching back harder
•Big nothing-burger
And we're only six months in...
•Primaries and debates
•Free Press
•Fact checking
•Social Media
•Popular vote vs. Electorial College
•The Cabinet and their budgets
•POTUS Special Consulors
•USSC
•The Constitution
•Walls
•NATO, and our allies
•Global Warming
•Tax returns
•Press secretary briefings
•Emoluments Clause
•Executive Memo verses real legislation
•Health care is hard...
•Calling your Congressmen
•Town halls
•How bills are made
•Russia, hacking, bots, and our election intervention
•Collusion
•Data mining (who left that RNC data door open?)
•Recusal
•FBI independence
•Special Council Robert Mueller
•Senate Hearings
•Grand Jury
•Obstruction of Justice
•Standard form 86
•Watergate (follow the money)
...now we add follow the data
•Money laundering
•Party ahead of Country
•Impeachment
Add life and ethics lessons:
•Truth and lies
•Bankruptcy(s)
•Emperor has no clothes
•Ignorance defense
•Lessons of Kindergarten
•7 Deadly Sins
•Corruption of power
•Tweets and the tweeters who tweet them
•Hypocrisy
•Sexual abuse
•Misogyny
•Bullying
•Nepotism
•Racism
•Homophobia
•Nepotism
•Xenophobia
•Dystopianism
•Every "ism", and "obia"
And some sad overused phrases:
•Fake news
•Double down
•Statements starting with "trust me", "believe me"
•Walk it back
•Alternative Facts
•False narrative
•Nexus
•Punching back harder
•Big nothing-burger
And we're only six months in...
26
Trump is the sum of Reality Television's parts and the alt.Right. The components hiding in his shadow are as harmful, shallow and evil as this man without qualities:
Robert Mercer and the Mercer Clan - Renaissance Capital and Cambridge Analytica
Rupert Murdoch and the Murdoch Clan - FOX NEWS
Charles & David Koch, Koch Industries & American Enterprise Institute etc.
Wilbur Ross - Commerce Secretary and laundry expert
Eric Prince - Blackwater and Betsy de Vos Bro.
Mitch McConnell - Elaine Chow - transp. secy.
Ed Butkowsky - Chapwood Investments co-conspirator re. Trump's day trades via tweet.
David Pecker - National Enquirer and other National Media outlets for fake news - second only to Murdoch in acting as Trump's personal fake news outlet
Rex Tillerson - Still Exxon Mobil
Christopher Ruddy- Newsmax - another fake fact and false news synthesizer for Trump
Mark Burnett - MGM - the Svengali of America who convince them Trump was actually competent via The Apprentice
Thomas Barrack - Colony Capital Fund-
& cavorting in his swimsuit in Siberia: Vladimir Putin
Robert Mercer and the Mercer Clan - Renaissance Capital and Cambridge Analytica
Rupert Murdoch and the Murdoch Clan - FOX NEWS
Charles & David Koch, Koch Industries & American Enterprise Institute etc.
Wilbur Ross - Commerce Secretary and laundry expert
Eric Prince - Blackwater and Betsy de Vos Bro.
Mitch McConnell - Elaine Chow - transp. secy.
Ed Butkowsky - Chapwood Investments co-conspirator re. Trump's day trades via tweet.
David Pecker - National Enquirer and other National Media outlets for fake news - second only to Murdoch in acting as Trump's personal fake news outlet
Rex Tillerson - Still Exxon Mobil
Christopher Ruddy- Newsmax - another fake fact and false news synthesizer for Trump
Mark Burnett - MGM - the Svengali of America who convince them Trump was actually competent via The Apprentice
Thomas Barrack - Colony Capital Fund-
& cavorting in his swimsuit in Siberia: Vladimir Putin
14
What a lousy deal that so many Americans thought that the guy they saw on The Tee Vee would make a great president.
8
As the Times put it so succinctly: "We're all worn out from the 'winning,' but where's the deals?" Biggest con of all time, for sure, with devastating damage to our country.
9
Nobody in their right mind will make a deal with someone who never tells the truth. The most tragic thing in American political history was the election of a man whose ability to speak truthfully doesn't exist. Even the Republicans are pulling away from supporting this white house for fear it will eventually betray even them.
15
I wish the media would stop crediting Trump for "writing" his first book. Everyone knows it was a puff piece done by Tony Schwartz, who actively spent the campaign season repeatedly saying he wished he never had if he knew it would lead to Trump running for (and eventually becoming) "president." We all know how much of a con artist and how illiterate he is, he couldn't possibly have managed to remain focused for any length of time to write that paean to lies.
13
As bad as Trump is (and he is) the Republicans in Congress are just as bad.
They have shown, as they did all through Obama's terms, that they put Party over Country. They showed how willing they are to break their oath of office by refusing to consider Obama's Supreme Court pick amougst other actions.
They all ended up supporting Trump. In their few months of controlling all three branches of the government, all they could get done are bills to show they don't trust their own Republican President.
They pass bills to stop the President from taking his ill considered actions. Which in a paradox I am very grateful for and support.
What a bunch of losers who vote to eliminate healthcare for millions while they have special considerations on their healthcare and have a public salary that allows them to pay for good healthcare. Sure it didn't pass in the Senate, but never forget that 49 Republican Senators did vote for it. Never forget that it passed the House without one Democrat voting for the bill. Never forget.
They have shown, as they did all through Obama's terms, that they put Party over Country. They showed how willing they are to break their oath of office by refusing to consider Obama's Supreme Court pick amougst other actions.
They all ended up supporting Trump. In their few months of controlling all three branches of the government, all they could get done are bills to show they don't trust their own Republican President.
They pass bills to stop the President from taking his ill considered actions. Which in a paradox I am very grateful for and support.
What a bunch of losers who vote to eliminate healthcare for millions while they have special considerations on their healthcare and have a public salary that allows them to pay for good healthcare. Sure it didn't pass in the Senate, but never forget that 49 Republican Senators did vote for it. Never forget that it passed the House without one Democrat voting for the bill. Never forget.
10
Hopefully, Trump will stick around long enough to ensure nothing gets done on his agenda and that he gets impeached, preferably the summer of 2020. The last thing we want is for him to quit like Palin early and install the dangerously effective Pence.
11
This may not count for much, but at least Pence, as dangerous as he is, is unlikely to confuse being the POTUS with being a dictator or Roman emperor. He's also unlike to rule by Tweet, may know how to read, may have actually read the Constitution and may have taken a Civics class. I hope that after dealing with the decadent and amoral excess of Trump, Congress will continue to resist kowtowing to an unhinged tyrant and not let Pence turn the clock on this country back some sixty years. Pence is also a step-up in terms of self-respect and decorum and won't embarrass this country nearly half as much as Trump already has. Besides, the investigation and Trump's abdication will probably take at least a year or two, which will leave Pence a short amount of time to either prove himself competent or not. And if he ends up as only a placeholder until we vote in a real President in 2020, at least his time in office won't be one darn fool thing after another, and the country will have a chance to quit screaming and unclench for a while.
1
There is still no proof of his business success. He has profited primarily from bankruptcies and his father continually bailing him out. In addition, it has been rumored for years that he is in bed with the mob and nefarious Russian oligarchs. He will not show his taxes to prove his success, so we are simply left to wonder what if it truly exists. Hopefully, Mueller has gained access to his financial dealings and will shed some light on what is going on.
On top of this, he is a despicable human being with a track record of being a sexual predator and a bully. Americans who voted for him and those who stayed home deserve the disaster he is bringing to the U.S.. Cleaning up after his reign, will take only decades if we are lucky.
On top of this, he is a despicable human being with a track record of being a sexual predator and a bully. Americans who voted for him and those who stayed home deserve the disaster he is bringing to the U.S.. Cleaning up after his reign, will take only decades if we are lucky.
14
I'm actually starting to feel sorry for the guy. Weird.
2
He would NEVER feel sorry for you or anyone outside his immediate family. Malignant narcissistic people have no capacity to feel for anyone else. His only joy is hurting anyone he has perceived to have caused him any "pain", thus the crusade to obviate all things Obama. It is inconceivable to me that anyone could still support this obviously mentally ill person as our President.
2
This is surely premature NYT. 3 1/2 years is a long time in politics. The public memory is only on the order of 3-6 months. It is much too soon to write the Trump admiistration obituary.
3
Half of Trump's supposed thirty million Twitter followers are bogus. The Great Negotiator got sold a bill of goods when he spent $120 per million to buy his audience.
The man is a sucker for every troll in the book. You start with Hannity, you end up with people who stroke your ego by selling you fake followers on Twitter.
The man is a sucker for every troll in the book. You start with Hannity, you end up with people who stroke your ego by selling you fake followers on Twitter.
5
We are being presented with an unparalleled opportunity to take control of both houses and 2018 this is our home and our only real chance.
Otherwise we're in for another long string of halfway nonsense where the rich will continue to get richer and the poor it may look like you're getting better but it won't be. We need a complete cleaning out of the Neanderthals, the for sale purchased and owned so called congress persons and a replacement of them by individuals who are in government to serve the people not to get rich
Otherwise we're in for another long string of halfway nonsense where the rich will continue to get richer and the poor it may look like you're getting better but it won't be. We need a complete cleaning out of the Neanderthals, the for sale purchased and owned so called congress persons and a replacement of them by individuals who are in government to serve the people not to get rich
3
A week egotistical greedy self-occupied fool occupies 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. And no, Mr. Pres*dent, it is not a dump.
5
sorry for the typo -- that's "weak", not "week."
Yes, far different than those brilliant deal makings of Mr. Obama. Keep dreaming NYT.
1
Obama is no longer president—unfortunately. Why do Trump supporters keep bringing up his name . . . and Hillary's. Deal with the problem at hand and quit trying to change the subject. This is the method of communication taught by Trump's administration. It simply confuses the issue. Move on to the present and get out of the past—before it's too late.
5
When Democrats take control of both Houses and the White House, i hope and wish that thorough investigations are conducted in every aspect of the Liar and family’s life. He as desecrated every thing that is decent in America and he deserves to be punished.
6
I'm afraid that 45 learned everything he needed to know in the sandbox - and stopped at that. We have toddler tantrums in the white house.
First spoiled brat president!
First spoiled brat president!
8
i am so sick and tired of little flag pins. John Prine said it long ago your flag decal (lapel pin) won't get you into heaven anymore
9
I am looking for that loyal Times commenter from NJ who kept screaming, before the Election. to "Give Trump another look". Guess what? We all have looked at Trump and he still lies like he always has. He still can't negotiate a bathroom door to close and his great negotiating skills were on ample display (if anyone took the time to read the agreements) when he negotiated the worst Bond Interest Rates for his NJ Casinos. The man is a moronic Twitt. Happy?
9
Ignorant and irrelevant I hope.
3
It's clear that the Electoral College has outlived its usefulness, having given wins to candidates in two recent elections (Bush II; Trump) who both lost the popular vote.
The time has come for one person one vote.
Can't see how the GOP would agree, as between the EC and gerrymandering, both hand them victories. However, the will of the people is clear. Trump knows this as demonstrated by his insecurities in regards to bogus claims of illegal voting.
Think about it: if we had one person one vote this country would've been spared from the disasters of Bush's presidency and this one as well.
The time has come for one person one vote.
Can't see how the GOP would agree, as between the EC and gerrymandering, both hand them victories. However, the will of the people is clear. Trump knows this as demonstrated by his insecurities in regards to bogus claims of illegal voting.
Think about it: if we had one person one vote this country would've been spared from the disasters of Bush's presidency and this one as well.
7
he doesn't negotiate at all. that's what the two transcripts of the phone calls show. he blusters and threatens and whines. that's not negotiating. that"s not even grown up.
20
Trump is a trust fund baby who inherited a $200 million dollar company from his daddy. The only thing he has going for him is financial security. In every other human aspect, he is an utter and complete failure.
17
Investments in Trump's empire are very poor ideas, except for foreign funds like Russia and China.
9
His reputation as a dealmaker was always fictitious . He's actually known as a guy from a so called reality TV show, and someone who has the ability to slap his name on things.
12
Thank you for at last crying out that the emperor has no clothes. This is something that millions of us knew before he even got elected.
13
More like, 'The Art of the Spiel", and a lot of Americans, 63 million to be exact, bought it, and continue to do so. Amazing.
9
After reading some of Trump's quotes I can see the problem. He needs to get his ideas translated into English before Congress can do anything with them.
7
The man is in way over his head, and actually can not deal. Especially within the framework of compromise, legalities, and decisions that don't just rest upon the lining of his and his cronies pockets.
12
"What's the Deal, President Trump ? " Trump - " We have Plan and it is a great, great Plan. We are working on it and you'll soon know what it is. A great, great plan which will be the best and the brilliant deal ever the Americans will have had. And being very, very smart and hardworking, ' I ' will have the most unbelievable Deal for you. " And after 7 months - the brilliant Plan to give Americans decent healthcare is still in the works while Americans remain on tenterhooks.
And did you say 1 trillion to overhaul our infrastructure? Only 1 trillion? So why are we wasting trillions and trillions in the Middle East war which we are losing? I guess, our brilliant Leaders do not know when to cut our losses, when to hold or when to walk away. The next election I am voting for Kenny Rogers!
And did you say 1 trillion to overhaul our infrastructure? Only 1 trillion? So why are we wasting trillions and trillions in the Middle East war which we are losing? I guess, our brilliant Leaders do not know when to cut our losses, when to hold or when to walk away. The next election I am voting for Kenny Rogers!
6
Reality TV played a major role in putting Trump in the Oval Office. Viewers were manipulated into believing that Trump was a successful and shrewd businessman who excelled at striking amazing deals.
However, what helped make these viewers/Trump voters so vulnerable to this pathological liar-conman was that Washington, D.C. is, indeed, hopelessly broken. But here's the thing . . . we're all living the daily nightmare due in large part to this major disconnect between "Washington is broken" and "Trump is the solution."
It didn't take Trump's election to show us that he is definitely NOT the solution. Many knew this long ago, or certainly know it now. Notable exception being the cult from Huntington, WV, loyally lined up behind their Dear Leader and still shouting "Lock her up!"
However, what helped make these viewers/Trump voters so vulnerable to this pathological liar-conman was that Washington, D.C. is, indeed, hopelessly broken. But here's the thing . . . we're all living the daily nightmare due in large part to this major disconnect between "Washington is broken" and "Trump is the solution."
It didn't take Trump's election to show us that he is definitely NOT the solution. Many knew this long ago, or certainly know it now. Notable exception being the cult from Huntington, WV, loyally lined up behind their Dear Leader and still shouting "Lock her up!"
9
What is one of our worst national security problems? Our inability to think and analyze correctly.
Forget any personal names like Bush, Clinton, Obama and Trump. We have to consider the categories like the executive and legislative branches.
Who is at fault in confrontation between them? Both of them! As a rule of thumb when you have two sides in a conflict, both sides are wrong! Very seldom there is a good side and a bad side!
In the conflict between the USA and the USSR, in the conflict between the Sunnis and the Shiites, in the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians, or in the conflict between the Congress and the White House everybody is wrong! If anybody were good, they would figure out a way to avoid the confrontation in the first place or to end it after the decades of butting their heads. The true winners know how to bring everybody together!
What’s wrong with imposing the sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea? Those are useless. We have imposed the sanctions on Cuba for decades without any result. The sanctions are always just the punishment, never a solution.
President Clinton struck a deal with North Korea, but the Bush Administration and the Congress trashed it and now we have the nuclear armed Pyongyang.
What if the same strategy delivers the nuclear armed Tehran?
We don’t need the leaders capable of escalating the conflicts but eliminating and avoiding them. This statement is valid for every country on this planet!
Forget any personal names like Bush, Clinton, Obama and Trump. We have to consider the categories like the executive and legislative branches.
Who is at fault in confrontation between them? Both of them! As a rule of thumb when you have two sides in a conflict, both sides are wrong! Very seldom there is a good side and a bad side!
In the conflict between the USA and the USSR, in the conflict between the Sunnis and the Shiites, in the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians, or in the conflict between the Congress and the White House everybody is wrong! If anybody were good, they would figure out a way to avoid the confrontation in the first place or to end it after the decades of butting their heads. The true winners know how to bring everybody together!
What’s wrong with imposing the sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea? Those are useless. We have imposed the sanctions on Cuba for decades without any result. The sanctions are always just the punishment, never a solution.
President Clinton struck a deal with North Korea, but the Bush Administration and the Congress trashed it and now we have the nuclear armed Pyongyang.
What if the same strategy delivers the nuclear armed Tehran?
We don’t need the leaders capable of escalating the conflicts but eliminating and avoiding them. This statement is valid for every country on this planet!
2
"The Art of the Deal"? I don't think so. Trump's business deal were manage by an "artful dodger" on steroids. He was the A-Rod of the development business until he became a reality TV star and pushed "the situation" off the Neilson charts. Then he shed another layer of skin to become the ugly artful deceiver embracing and mainlining the birther blues. We thought he was dispatched by Obama at the infamous (for him) WH Correspondence dinner in 2012 but he rose again from the politically dead with the resuscitation from the coal burning, fire and brimstone crowd and took on their bogeymen, brown immigrants (with illegal as the dodge and all as the target). There's no art in Mr. Trump. There's only ugliness.
6
Since Louisiana and Alaska were purchased a long time ago there really is no need for a huckster president schooled in fast talking real estate deals. The "Art of the Deal" was ghost written and we have a 'ghost' president, in the technical vernacular that means someone holds the job but seldom shows up for work.
Best president ever? You'll love it? Biggest, best ever? Even the Boy Scout Leader said so?
The 'deal' is that we have arguably the most incompetent, despised.
president ever. The most hated American. That's the real deal...
Best president ever? You'll love it? Biggest, best ever? Even the Boy Scout Leader said so?
The 'deal' is that we have arguably the most incompetent, despised.
president ever. The most hated American. That's the real deal...
10
What I cannot understand about the so called president is this: If he is so concerned with the adoration of crowds why he doesn't just pivot 180 and offer the solid majority of Americans a win. The 30% who do approve might still be stupid enough to approve even if he did the U turn.
2
Trump trumpets that the mainstream media if full of 'fake news' but Trump himself is the fake news champion. He tried to convince President Nieto to go along in public with the falsehood that Mexico could be willing to pay for the border wall.
Trump, according to documents he has not disputed exist, had a direct hand in trying to peddle the fiction that the meeting between his family members/senior campaign team concerned the adoption by Americans of Russian babies.
And then there is the heartbreaking Fox News story of Seth Rich, which a lawsuit says was definitely fake news and Trump helped craft it with media lackey Sean Hannity. Yes fake news definitely exists. Trump is its Editor in Chief.
Trump, according to documents he has not disputed exist, had a direct hand in trying to peddle the fiction that the meeting between his family members/senior campaign team concerned the adoption by Americans of Russian babies.
And then there is the heartbreaking Fox News story of Seth Rich, which a lawsuit says was definitely fake news and Trump helped craft it with media lackey Sean Hannity. Yes fake news definitely exists. Trump is its Editor in Chief.
4
Trumps whole life is a scam. He presented himself as a successful business man despite the fact he bankrupted multiple times and was given a huge head start by daddy. He presented himself as defender of religion despite the fact he doesn't live a Christian life. He presented himself as someone who is a friend of the military who dodged service. He presented himself as a politician despite never serving and built his run on the birther scam.
6
he's his own worst enemy (he's dead wrong about taxes before infrastructure, missing his own easiest lift toward solution of one of our most crucial - next to health care - social needs), except for one other, the torch-and-pitchfork media who keep adding insult to encumbrance as they stalk trump...to where? to what end that benefits the republic?
and still another, the dumbed down do-nothing congress that finally passes something, a gas cloud of sanctions over russia that immediately displaces the oxygen a deal maker needs to make deals or develop any relationship with v putin and the russians.
no trump voter here, but not inspired by the counterbullying (media) and congressional counterproduction (the times' delusion that eight years of democratic complacency, letting obama care die from within, and republican dereliction in failing to have a new model, keys in the ignition, ready to go, would be stunning if it were not consistent with the paper's drift from news to advocacy).
evidence: despite its record of nonfeasance (except for service to its k street controllers) the time's holds that "Congress is showing signs of understanding what Mr. Trump clearly does not: that politics is not “The Art of the Deal,” but the art of the possible" and offers a set of "wouldas," "what ifs," "mights" as evidence of said possible.
face it, trump's is what we've got and we've got him because we underestimated him, let's not cripple the office because we're angry and embarrassed.
and still another, the dumbed down do-nothing congress that finally passes something, a gas cloud of sanctions over russia that immediately displaces the oxygen a deal maker needs to make deals or develop any relationship with v putin and the russians.
no trump voter here, but not inspired by the counterbullying (media) and congressional counterproduction (the times' delusion that eight years of democratic complacency, letting obama care die from within, and republican dereliction in failing to have a new model, keys in the ignition, ready to go, would be stunning if it were not consistent with the paper's drift from news to advocacy).
evidence: despite its record of nonfeasance (except for service to its k street controllers) the time's holds that "Congress is showing signs of understanding what Mr. Trump clearly does not: that politics is not “The Art of the Deal,” but the art of the possible" and offers a set of "wouldas," "what ifs," "mights" as evidence of said possible.
face it, trump's is what we've got and we've got him because we underestimated him, let's not cripple the office because we're angry and embarrassed.
Along the lines of hiring a plumber to perform open heart surgery, can we at last cease with the fiction that you can run the government effectively when you have zero experience in government?
Would anyone hire a CEO with no experience in business? Of course not. Yet somehow 60 million of us thought it a great idea to "hire" a man with none of the attributes needed to be an effective POTUS.
No matter if you think the Russia thing is fake news, at this point, people who are defending Trump and his "achievements" sound like Star Wars fans trying to defend Jar Jar Binks.
Would anyone hire a CEO with no experience in business? Of course not. Yet somehow 60 million of us thought it a great idea to "hire" a man with none of the attributes needed to be an effective POTUS.
No matter if you think the Russia thing is fake news, at this point, people who are defending Trump and his "achievements" sound like Star Wars fans trying to defend Jar Jar Binks.
4
It seems his "good deal" making expertise was a lot of bullying! Congress can not be bullied! So much for making deals!!
2
Thankfully the congress has finally stepped in to stop this guy. But the most important block they can legislate, and should do immediately, is to prevent him from hitting the nuclear button. Clearly he is not to be trusted with life and death decisions!
3
Ah, and some of us have learned that a "business person" in the white house is not a good deal. They simply are not competent to run a government. The great pretender to the white house has definitely show us this. Now, if we could only get rid of him....
7
Well, NYT, you may be hopeful that Trump's incompetence and narcissism are leading Congress to do better, but I have to ask, in what universe?
For forty years the GOP has been working to reach this point of a permanent Republican USA. Gerrymandering, laws like Citizens United, voter suppression, taking over state legislatures and governorships, ALEC, and so on, have established the ground for the extremist right to take permanent charge. Sessions and Pence? These two men have done considerable harm, hate women (the word is misogynist), people of color, and LGBT people. Look at the record.
Trump is the mascot of the white supremacist patriarchy. He's the show out front while the real deal is going on inside the tent. Trump doesn't need to do anything except distract the public and keep the base inflamed. That's the story the NYT needs to be writing. Will there be any genuine elections in 2018? I and everyone I know are considerably worried, not about the Russians, but about the GOP. Seasoned political analysts and historians are predicting Trump may try a coup. True elections may never happen again. The census is in trouble. the DOE is in trouble. And the Republicans seem to be just fine with all of it. In fact, Bannon has said the heads of agencies and cabinet members were chosen specifically to dismantle our government. That's the story that needs to be front and center.
For forty years the GOP has been working to reach this point of a permanent Republican USA. Gerrymandering, laws like Citizens United, voter suppression, taking over state legislatures and governorships, ALEC, and so on, have established the ground for the extremist right to take permanent charge. Sessions and Pence? These two men have done considerable harm, hate women (the word is misogynist), people of color, and LGBT people. Look at the record.
Trump is the mascot of the white supremacist patriarchy. He's the show out front while the real deal is going on inside the tent. Trump doesn't need to do anything except distract the public and keep the base inflamed. That's the story the NYT needs to be writing. Will there be any genuine elections in 2018? I and everyone I know are considerably worried, not about the Russians, but about the GOP. Seasoned political analysts and historians are predicting Trump may try a coup. True elections may never happen again. The census is in trouble. the DOE is in trouble. And the Republicans seem to be just fine with all of it. In fact, Bannon has said the heads of agencies and cabinet members were chosen specifically to dismantle our government. That's the story that needs to be front and center.
4
We must never forget that Steve Bannon, who is doing all he can to destroy the administrative state, is the Trump advisor who is influencing Trump on a daily basis.
More focus needs to be paid to Bannon.
Bannon's destructive agenda could well be the reason that so many government jobs are not yet filled (?) ; that is, because Bannon (and Trump) do not want the government jobs filled filled because without filling them, the administrative state not functioning, as in, it is being destroyed!
Bannon's constituency is an American ultra-right authoritarian culture that believes that white skinned people of European background are superior to American's with other skin colors from other ethnic backgrounds.
I think we must regularly focus on the day to day influence that Bannon is having on Trump and on the government American governmental administration.
More focus needs to be paid to Bannon.
Bannon's destructive agenda could well be the reason that so many government jobs are not yet filled (?) ; that is, because Bannon (and Trump) do not want the government jobs filled filled because without filling them, the administrative state not functioning, as in, it is being destroyed!
Bannon's constituency is an American ultra-right authoritarian culture that believes that white skinned people of European background are superior to American's with other skin colors from other ethnic backgrounds.
I think we must regularly focus on the day to day influence that Bannon is having on Trump and on the government American governmental administration.
4
At favorable ratings in the ever dropping thirties I would suggest "Trumpophobia" to describe any further "thinking" about the future of the Republican party.
2
I would suggest that readers of this Editorial find the July 25, 2016 New Yorker article in which Tony Schwartz gave an interview about his time with Donald Trump and the writing of the book, " The Art of the Deal". For someone who claims to be such a "deal maker", it would appear from this article by Schwartz and other interviews given by him, that Mr. Trump has no idea about how to make a deal, or how to write a book!
4
Best thing 45 will ever do is to stiffen the spine of Congress. The more 45 endangers America with his idicocracy, the more Congress remembers why they exist.
5
What? You believed him when he bragged about being such a great deal maker?
Would you want to make a deal with him?
The only people who think he's a great anything are his worshipful supporters, who apparently would buy anything from him. And their numbers are going down, so that leaves ... Ivanka and Jared and, maybe, his current wife, who think he's just swell.
Would you want to make a deal with him?
The only people who think he's a great anything are his worshipful supporters, who apparently would buy anything from him. And their numbers are going down, so that leaves ... Ivanka and Jared and, maybe, his current wife, who think he's just swell.
2
I agree with the commenters who have pointed out how useful and enlightening the thread resulting from the comment of ben Avraham and Moshe Reuven was. And that a few technological changes would make the comments section even better. I'd like to suggest that one of these be an ability to list all comments to a given article at once, so that they could be searched?
1
I get the sense that most of his past deal making had to do with using his wealth to issue threats, and perhaps just a desire on the part of the other party to get him out of their office.
3
I dislike Trump as much as anyone, but I found this recap of his failures to be a gratuitous swipe - there's nothing new here. The constant haranguing is unnecessary, as is the pointing out of every minor inconsistency. All you're doing is reinforcing the claim of media bias.
1
Given the egregiousness of Trump & Co's transgressions I believe it's important to constantly highlight them for anyone listening. Most of the country wants him out; sugarcoating will not make that any easier.
6
We hear a lot of reasons and justification by the Trump Administration as to why things aren't getting done. I'm reminded of a quote by a very successful business man that President Trump should take to heart.
Performance stands out like a ton of diamonds. Nonperformance can always be explained away.
-Hal Geneen
Performance stands out like a ton of diamonds. Nonperformance can always be explained away.
-Hal Geneen
3
Trump's disastrous tenancy should put to rest once-and-for-all the notion that (good) businessmen can make good public servants.
4
I'd like to let you in on a little secret. PEOPLE WHO STILL BELIEVE TRUMP IS A GREAT PRESIDENT DON'T CARE ABOUT ANY OF THIS. There doesn't need to be any more ink wasted along the line of "hey, Trump said THAT when he was campaigning, but wow he did THAT, or let THAT happen - so see, he's not who he said he was." Most of us (57.3% as of today's poll average from FiveThirtyEight) see it, know it, are concerned/frightened by it, etc. And most of the 37% who still approve of Trump (by the same poll average) don't care. There is no logic or reason that will bring these people over. Trump REALLY COULD shoot someone on Fifth Avenue as he boasted and these people would still not care.
So...enough! There is one thing and one thing only to write about Trump from here on out, and that is every nook and cranny of his ties to Russia and any crimes he has committed in that regard, or otherwise. That's it. Period.
So...enough! There is one thing and one thing only to write about Trump from here on out, and that is every nook and cranny of his ties to Russia and any crimes he has committed in that regard, or otherwise. That's it. Period.
1
That's your opinion and you're entitled to it. Not everyone feels as you do.
2
Don't forget nominating and Republicans in the Senate right wingers to the Bench. It will take years if not decades for America to recover from these awful judicial appointments.
4
Look, trying to make any sense out of what we're witnessing has us possibly exploring some uncomfortable things, at least me anyway. I keep wondering, after all that we've seen with Trump so far, the flip-flopping, the lying, blaming somebody else, his surrogates defending him, how there is a "base" that still accepts this. The only conclusion I can come to, being an African American, is that these are the people that hated the fact that America had a Black president, and Trump has shown them that he is the person to restore their White race to control in America, and anything and anybody that's contrary to that is their enemy. Change? That's what was assumed these people wanted, right? This IS that change for them, trying to restore the Jim Crow era that gave these Whites the confidence that, whatever level they were on, socially or economically, they were better than those who weren't like them and deserved better than them. Trump's position so far has been to attack the vulnerable in this nation, and to identify those who aren't like those in Trump's base and put them BACK in their place. Progress, to those in Trump's base is about still having those advantages they've been used to throughout generations, and I'm referring to RACIAL advantages, and Trump is playing on that. What's even worse, from my perspective, is the fact that the Republican led Congress seems to be OK with this.
5
Assume for a moment that he was a great deal maker in business. The real issue is whether there is any carry-over to government. Almost always, the answer is "no." That's because most of the time, business negotiations are binary...there's a buyer and a seller or a lessor and a lessee. The goal is simple: buy low, sell high. It's relatively easy to figure out your opponent's weakness and his or her desire for a deal and then press that advantage. But government is different. The choices are not so clear; in fact, they rarely are. There are many competing interests. Most are not at the table but will be heard from loud and clear. In business, you can walk away and say "no deal," or threaten bankruptcy. In government, threats are usually empty because the side effects of following through with ultimate "nuclear option" threats are so dire. Moreover, the situation usually does not lend itself to walking away--the "opponent" is often a problem and not a single entity.
Decision-making in government is frustrating. To be successful, one must be subtle, one must be mindful of the true interests at stake, one must be respectful of the complexities of the situation and one must be realistic. None of these is part of Donald Trump's makeup. Nor would they have been had Al "Chainsaw" Dunlap been elected President.
Decision-making in government is frustrating. To be successful, one must be subtle, one must be mindful of the true interests at stake, one must be respectful of the complexities of the situation and one must be realistic. None of these is part of Donald Trump's makeup. Nor would they have been had Al "Chainsaw" Dunlap been elected President.
This editorial fails to acknowledge Trump's greatest deal of all, winning the election in a deal with the electorate to fix all his supporters find wrong about Washington and the various policy agendas. That Trump can't deliver is only characteristic of many other of Don the Con's deals, relying on lies, insincere promises and the false narrative of magic capabilities. Meanwhile he continues his opportunism to loot whatever he can. The investors who funded the bankrupt companies he looted understand. Eventually the rest of us will too and his celebrity will turn to notoriety. The hard part for the marks is to admit they enabled themselves to be cheated.
2
To be fair, part of Trump's winning the election came with a little help from his Russian friends. Got to give a bit of credit where credit is due.
3
I have trained for decades in the skills and "art" of negotiation, and I can confidently state that Trump is the worst kind of dealmaker. Zero sum, my-way-or-the-highway negotiation style rarely leads to a solid resolution. It is, bar none, the least effective negotiation strategy.
Zero-sum is all Trump's got. I have studied the process of his "dealmaking", if we can call it that. Trump's "process" is to state a position, then use threats and bullying to bolster the position; use public attacks, mockery, insults to try to intimidate those who object; concoct petty conspiracies and nasty innuendo to undermine others, even some in his own party; pander to and rev up his base with sweetmeats of race, gender, and immigration hate; and his final coup, gather his troops in rallies to solidify his camp and bask in their rancid adulation.
This strategy has not worked, and will never work. Negotiation 101: learn about and invest in the interests of all parties. Validate those interests, regardless of how different they might from yours. Look at options to find a resolution that gives everyone something of what they want, or find a way to respect the other sides's interests with another kind of resolution.
Trump's problem is that he cannot see, much less understand, others' needs and interests. This takes empathy, and the willingness to explore what is going on for others. Trump's narcissism is ultimately his downfall: his vision is always a mirror of his own interests.
Zero-sum is all Trump's got. I have studied the process of his "dealmaking", if we can call it that. Trump's "process" is to state a position, then use threats and bullying to bolster the position; use public attacks, mockery, insults to try to intimidate those who object; concoct petty conspiracies and nasty innuendo to undermine others, even some in his own party; pander to and rev up his base with sweetmeats of race, gender, and immigration hate; and his final coup, gather his troops in rallies to solidify his camp and bask in their rancid adulation.
This strategy has not worked, and will never work. Negotiation 101: learn about and invest in the interests of all parties. Validate those interests, regardless of how different they might from yours. Look at options to find a resolution that gives everyone something of what they want, or find a way to respect the other sides's interests with another kind of resolution.
Trump's problem is that he cannot see, much less understand, others' needs and interests. This takes empathy, and the willingness to explore what is going on for others. Trump's narcissism is ultimately his downfall: his vision is always a mirror of his own interests.
4
Could we finally put to rest the lie that Donald Trump was ever a great, or even good, deal maker. His failures as President mirror his many business failures (football league, magazine, casinos). Deals are made where both sides are willing to accept the outcome, not where a bully coerces the other side. And as we've seen, Trump hasn't even been able to convince Congress so where is the "art" in his attempts at "dealing". Please, this emperor has no clothes.
3
Why do Republicans put up with Trump? General consensus is that he will sign any bill congress puts in front of him. But so wouldn't a President Pence?
Looking back at previous legislation signed by various presidents it is obvious that any legislation (good or bad) gets tied to the hip of the president who signed it. Obamacare (of course) to Obama. New Deal to Roosevelt. War on Drugs to Reagan (Nancy "Just say no") etc. But this nexus extends to legislation that was never the brain child of the signing president.
NAFTA was in the works long before President Clinton signed it. Yet conservatives lay the entirety of NAFTA at his feet. And such is probably why the GOP still backs Trump as their signing president. This way they can cast off any or all future perceived notions of being held responsible for bad legislation coming out of this GOP controlled Congress by imprinting those failures onto Trump (who they will say was not a true Republican or conservative). Trumpcare was (and possibly still is) headed this way.
And Tax cuts for the rich is poster child material. Highly unpopular, blows a hole in the budget at the expense of social safety nets and will do little for the average Joe. Especially getting rid of the estate tax. The GOP has been trying to get-r-done for years and now's their chance. With Trump eventually being held guilty in the public court for years to come and the fall guy for being the "President who cut taxes for the rich".
Looking back at previous legislation signed by various presidents it is obvious that any legislation (good or bad) gets tied to the hip of the president who signed it. Obamacare (of course) to Obama. New Deal to Roosevelt. War on Drugs to Reagan (Nancy "Just say no") etc. But this nexus extends to legislation that was never the brain child of the signing president.
NAFTA was in the works long before President Clinton signed it. Yet conservatives lay the entirety of NAFTA at his feet. And such is probably why the GOP still backs Trump as their signing president. This way they can cast off any or all future perceived notions of being held responsible for bad legislation coming out of this GOP controlled Congress by imprinting those failures onto Trump (who they will say was not a true Republican or conservative). Trumpcare was (and possibly still is) headed this way.
And Tax cuts for the rich is poster child material. Highly unpopular, blows a hole in the budget at the expense of social safety nets and will do little for the average Joe. Especially getting rid of the estate tax. The GOP has been trying to get-r-done for years and now's their chance. With Trump eventually being held guilty in the public court for years to come and the fall guy for being the "President who cut taxes for the rich".
2
The only way the President will be relevant is if he actually delves into the details of the issues and tries to understand them. Short of that decisions are not only wrong but reckless. If he doesn't want to do the job he needs to move aside and let someone do it. His inability to do anything empowers the congress and lop sides the government. That is as destructive as his inabilities.
1
It is by now fairly clear that Trump and his cabinet appointees are opportunistic scavangers. They exist to take as much as they can for themselves and their friends (other rich people) and then they will run for their mansions in the gated communities with the armed guards to keep out the 99% of the nation that they have stolen from.
Republican doctrine of survival of the richest is not going to be kind to anyone other than the 1% at the top of the wealth heap. The concept of help to those less fortunate is some how seen as a weakness; as if the poor and less educated are underserving of any assistance, and not just in the financial form, but in education and opportunity. It seems odd that in a nation as advanced (socially, culturally, technologically, militarily) as the US that not everyone is able to afford health care. Maybe the US is not as advanced as they seem to think.
Republican doctrine of survival of the richest is not going to be kind to anyone other than the 1% at the top of the wealth heap. The concept of help to those less fortunate is some how seen as a weakness; as if the poor and less educated are underserving of any assistance, and not just in the financial form, but in education and opportunity. It seems odd that in a nation as advanced (socially, culturally, technologically, militarily) as the US that not everyone is able to afford health care. Maybe the US is not as advanced as they seem to think.
2
Kind of sickening to think what the American people have missed out on over the past 8 years - what could have been if only the GOP hadn't been so intransigent and had been willing to cross the aisle and work with the Dems - we could be already benefitting from better healthcare and better infrastructure! The Republicans in power have proven one thing for sure: they can't govern, they can only say NO!
3
Trump's candidacy was built on lies; now Trump is faking the
presidency.
No need to bother parsing the messes he's making. Just call for
his ouster, to stop a democracy's bleeding.
presidency.
No need to bother parsing the messes he's making. Just call for
his ouster, to stop a democracy's bleeding.
1
The saddest thing of all is this sorry excuse for a President is a reflection on all us. The world see's us through the prism of his election. For all his faults, all his failures his election is a statement about us. As Cassius noted: "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings."
To redeem ourselves we must resist the underlying fear that allows the Trump's of the world to gain power. To do so we must look in the mirror and stop being afraid. We use to believe in an idea called America...we must defend that idea again.
To redeem ourselves we must resist the underlying fear that allows the Trump's of the world to gain power. To do so we must look in the mirror and stop being afraid. We use to believe in an idea called America...we must defend that idea again.
2
Trump is a con man and a bully but he is no deal maker. A good negotiator listens well not just flaps his jaws and he understands that a successful negotiation is one in which all parties to the negotiation come away with a fair slice of the pie.
1
Sure, trump has made many, many deals in his career - problem is, most of them were bad deals. As Bill Maher opined, anyone who builds, then bankrupts a casino is a lousy businessman.
2
Many may have thought that, despite his crude, inept, toddler like public persona, behind the scenes Trump was truly something different; an accomplished negotiator and tactician. The publication of the transcripts of his calls with the Mexican president and Australian Prime Minister should remove any doubt about that fond hope. The transcripts show him to be nothing more than the unbelievably ignorant, belligerent, sometimes whining, toddler that he surely is.
But the one thing that simply jumps off of the pages of these interactions is the man's narcissism. His only concern in both was "How will this make me look". It should not be ignored that this overwhelming character trait is evidence of illness. One that will not serve America well.
But the one thing that simply jumps off of the pages of these interactions is the man's narcissism. His only concern in both was "How will this make me look". It should not be ignored that this overwhelming character trait is evidence of illness. One that will not serve America well.
3
This is a feel good bashing article with little new or very interesting to say.
This president obviously has an inability to face his own failings, whether in an oval office or on a golf course. He obfuscates and right-out lies to create his own reality. But what when he is confronted, day-after-day with these "inconsistencies?"
What will happen when health care reform truly is dead (assuming Pence isn't quite the liar Trump is--- that may be a hurdle even too big for that man) and all Trump's other promises similarly are unfulfilled?
Something is going to happen to the man and I'd like to read a few psychologists and/or psychiatrists state their professional opinions about the potential issues we all may be witnessing.
This president obviously has an inability to face his own failings, whether in an oval office or on a golf course. He obfuscates and right-out lies to create his own reality. But what when he is confronted, day-after-day with these "inconsistencies?"
What will happen when health care reform truly is dead (assuming Pence isn't quite the liar Trump is--- that may be a hurdle even too big for that man) and all Trump's other promises similarly are unfulfilled?
Something is going to happen to the man and I'd like to read a few psychologists and/or psychiatrists state their professional opinions about the potential issues we all may be witnessing.
Dear Jayme,
I think we can predict with clarity how King Donald the Worst will react to being boxed in by Mr Mueller. It will be business as usual:
He will attack everyone he can to obscure his wrongdoings: He will blame the Democratic Hillary Conspiracy, He will blame Mr Mueller as being a pawn of the Left; He will blame the press who created "fake news": He will blame Jeff Sessions and all the weak kneed Republicans who joined the conspiracy and he will appeal to his "base" to rise up and prevent this miscarriage of justice from occurring.
Then like every psychopath who is cornered he will break every legal and constitutional boundary to preserve power including pardons for all those who are convicted or threatened to be prosecuted. He will try to pardon himself. Congress will be forced to vote a bill of impeachment. Unlike Nixon who really cared about the country he will have to be forceably removed from the office; at that time he will"negotiate" a pardon from Pence and leave. He will then be a darling of Fox News and star in a new talk show" How I was a Victim of the Shadow Left and perhaps become a talk radio star.
Sadly, no justice only chaos and more celebrity for deposed King Donald the Worst.
I think we can predict with clarity how King Donald the Worst will react to being boxed in by Mr Mueller. It will be business as usual:
He will attack everyone he can to obscure his wrongdoings: He will blame the Democratic Hillary Conspiracy, He will blame Mr Mueller as being a pawn of the Left; He will blame the press who created "fake news": He will blame Jeff Sessions and all the weak kneed Republicans who joined the conspiracy and he will appeal to his "base" to rise up and prevent this miscarriage of justice from occurring.
Then like every psychopath who is cornered he will break every legal and constitutional boundary to preserve power including pardons for all those who are convicted or threatened to be prosecuted. He will try to pardon himself. Congress will be forced to vote a bill of impeachment. Unlike Nixon who really cared about the country he will have to be forceably removed from the office; at that time he will"negotiate" a pardon from Pence and leave. He will then be a darling of Fox News and star in a new talk show" How I was a Victim of the Shadow Left and perhaps become a talk radio star.
Sadly, no justice only chaos and more celebrity for deposed King Donald the Worst.
3
Well, RJ, I kinda hope you're right? The danger of your scenario would be that all those armed Kool-aid drinkers then would be emboldened to become national terrorists.
But I fear something perhaps worse: when truly threatened, Trump goes where several of his predecessors did, much to their shame: invent a threat, bomb, invade while enveloped in the comforting fabric of the flag.
Of course, we both could be wrong and he could, like most bullies and loudmouths, just collapse like a punctured windbag.
But I fear something perhaps worse: when truly threatened, Trump goes where several of his predecessors did, much to their shame: invent a threat, bomb, invade while enveloped in the comforting fabric of the flag.
Of course, we both could be wrong and he could, like most bullies and loudmouths, just collapse like a punctured windbag.
I'll give Donald this, he was a rioting success as a fake reality TV executive reading his lines in a fake boardroom. Aside from that, he ran a not-terribly-successful shell game and a series of cons. But he does prove the maxim, "You can fool some of the people all of the time."
1
Trump was mad, (no, not irate)
and bloviated we'll be great;
we'll be great before he's finished,
greatly embarrassed, greatly diminished,
great if it turns out "no he can't",
a great disdain of a crazy rant,
a great disappointment to be felt
at the great advance in polar melt,
the greatest plunge in public heath,
a great increase in corporate wealth,
a great suspension of belief,
the greatest surge in fear and grief,
a great despair and great disgust
and a great relief when he goes bust.
Tom Ballard
and bloviated we'll be great;
we'll be great before he's finished,
greatly embarrassed, greatly diminished,
great if it turns out "no he can't",
a great disdain of a crazy rant,
a great disappointment to be felt
at the great advance in polar melt,
the greatest plunge in public heath,
a great increase in corporate wealth,
a great suspension of belief,
the greatest surge in fear and grief,
a great despair and great disgust
and a great relief when he goes bust.
Tom Ballard
3
The deal is that DT is a fraud, and always has been. He has "people" to do his bidding. His wish is their command - lawyers, accountants, and whoever else serves on his team of sycophants. He's a master manipulator. Sadly, I read comments suggesting that his "followers" still believe he's the one, whatever that means. He'll "drain the swamp", whatever that means. Like Trump, they believe everything and everyone else is the problem, a giant conspiracy to bring the guy down. Not sure I've ever been quite so worried about the direction of this country.
Let's truly sum up Trump's so-called negotiating skills: First, that book, the Art of the Deal, was not authored by him but by a ghost writer who, in a New Yorker article, stated that Trump made few if any markings on the draft; Second, his idea of negotiating with his contractors was rather simple -- not pay them; Third, when he could not cover his loans, the banks folded (if you owe the bank $1,000, it is your problem; if you owe the bank millions, it is the bank's problem!); Finally, he worked in real estate -- a highly vertical business where nepotism is rampant -- Durst, Helmsley-Spears, Kushners. In other words, he never had any experience running a large, diverse organization like Jamie Dimon's JP Morgan. He still claims that his business experience made billions. Even that is a lie.
1
I never understood the ridiculous notion that being able to make a profit with questionable cutthroat methods in business somehow qualifies someone to be a politician at all, let alone POTUS.
As a politician who needs to serve the public, you cannot downsize your "employment" roster (citizens), you can't sell off subsidiaries that are losing money (States), and you can't solicit investment capital (taxes) without any payback obligation and then cry bankrupsty with a Chapter 11 filing so that you can start all over again with a blank slate.
As President you must haul your weight to make American succeed without exporting 1/3 of your uneducated/unskilled population and selling off the worst dozen "taker" States.
Methods that are commonly used in business are arguably the LAST things that makes for a successful politician. And the GOP is demonstrating that every day of this administration so far.
As a politician who needs to serve the public, you cannot downsize your "employment" roster (citizens), you can't sell off subsidiaries that are losing money (States), and you can't solicit investment capital (taxes) without any payback obligation and then cry bankrupsty with a Chapter 11 filing so that you can start all over again with a blank slate.
As President you must haul your weight to make American succeed without exporting 1/3 of your uneducated/unskilled population and selling off the worst dozen "taker" States.
Methods that are commonly used in business are arguably the LAST things that makes for a successful politician. And the GOP is demonstrating that every day of this administration so far.
3
Trump wants to hold infrastructure back so that he can dangle that carrot for Democrats. "Give me this deal on taxes, or I won't let you have the carrot." So America wastes away while he plays at padding his own backside.
Even if Trump were a successful business man that still wouldn't be enough to make him a good president. The two jobs are not comparable. Government is not a business and should not nor cannot be run like one. A business is supposed to make money.... government spends money. Yes... the federal government is supposed to spend money... for infrastructure, for healthcare, for education, for the people.
Even if Trump were a successful business man that still wouldn't be enough to make him a good president. The two jobs are not comparable. Government is not a business and should not nor cannot be run like one. A business is supposed to make money.... government spends money. Yes... the federal government is supposed to spend money... for infrastructure, for healthcare, for education, for the people.
2
This presidency is a train wreck--senseless, destructive, cruel, and so sad. But rather than being absorbed in the spectacle, we need to be en garde for what comes next. There will be a crisis of shocking magnitude,natural or man-made. And then The Trump cabinet of opportunists will launch a massive money and/or power grab. Remember the $3.4B that disappeared in Iraq after 9/11, the land grabs and school privatization after Katrina, the Authorization for Use of Military Force enacted after 9/11 and still in use today, the bank bailouts and foreclosures of 2008. The list goes on. Wake up and smell the coffee, America!
2
You can't blame Congress for this part of the mess. Donald made himself irrelevant. First the intelligence community, then the military, then the State Department, and foreign leaders, and finally, Congress... all have learned not to take the president seriously. He doesn't speak for America: there is always a follow-up confirmation because everyone recognizes that Donald doesn't know what he's talking about... always good for a laugh.
Ordinary mortals can be lazy or they can be dumb, yet still succeed in life. Trouble is, Trump is both lazy and dumb. Trouble is, many of us are just now finding this out. What a mess we're in....
2
I think it's pretty clear, after watching him up close for the past 6 months, Trump was never a 'deal maker'-he was/is a bully who sued, or threatened to sue, for what he wanted from people who couldn't fight back & stiffed anyone he could along the way.
1
Donald Trump will never be able to craft a meaningful political deal because no political leader takes him seriously. How could they? He is uninformed; he lies reflexively; and he cannot think outside of his own political standing. (Reading the transcripts of his January phone calls with the Mexican president and Australian prime minister shows why Trump has been largely shunned by world leaders.) Trump's utter failure as a deal-maker just exacerbates the harm that will flow from his pulling out of the Trans Pacific Partnership and the Paris Climate accords. Left out in the cold on trade and environmental policy, and unable to forge any new international partnerships, America's peace and prosperity have become increasingly endangered. All because Trump remains obsessed with undoing everything his predecessor accomplished.
132
According to the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (Cleckley & Hare), Trump meets all the criteria:
Machiavellian Egocentricity: A lack of empathy and sense of detachment from others for the sake of achieving one's own goals.
Social Potency: The ability to charm and influence others.
Coldheartedness: A distinct lack of emotion, guilt, or regard for others' feelings.
Carefree Nonplanfulness: Difficulty in planning ahead and considering the consequences of one's actions.
Fearlessness: An eagerness for risk-seeking behaviors, as well as a lack of the fear that normally goes with them.
Blame Externalization: Inability to take responsibility for one's actions, instead blaming others or rationalizing.
Impulsive Nonconformity: Disregard for social norms.
Stress Immunity.
Machiavellian Egocentricity: A lack of empathy and sense of detachment from others for the sake of achieving one's own goals.
Social Potency: The ability to charm and influence others.
Coldheartedness: A distinct lack of emotion, guilt, or regard for others' feelings.
Carefree Nonplanfulness: Difficulty in planning ahead and considering the consequences of one's actions.
Fearlessness: An eagerness for risk-seeking behaviors, as well as a lack of the fear that normally goes with them.
Blame Externalization: Inability to take responsibility for one's actions, instead blaming others or rationalizing.
Impulsive Nonconformity: Disregard for social norms.
Stress Immunity.
1
The absolute reality is that business and government have very different purposes and goals. There is no such thing as running government like a business. Thus the narcissist con man who was so "successful" in business by lying and cheating is unable to pull off the same tricks in governance. He thinks being president is like being the boss, but it isn't and isn't supposed to be. Deals in governance require nuance, compromise, intelligence and reason. Trump does none of these. He's a presidential fraud.
Eclectic Pragmatism — http://eclectic-pragmatist.tumblr.com/
Eclectic Pragmatist — https://medium.com/eclectic-pragmatism
Eclectic Pragmatism — http://eclectic-pragmatist.tumblr.com/
Eclectic Pragmatist — https://medium.com/eclectic-pragmatism
26
He never even had to answer to a Board of Directors, let alone a Congress or the courts or voters.
1
Two things make me and people like me worried: Mr. Trump's ranting during election (if he loses it was rigged and he will take violent actions) and now his 30% to 35% supporters (irrespective of Mr. Trump's irrational logic, constant lies, and inconsistent threat to the cabinet or the bureaucrats). I am afraid of street violence if there is some genuine charge against Mr. Trump or his family members by Muller's investigations. I am also afraid this violence will be directed against black, asian and hispanic communities. Civil war of 1960 was against black only because other communities did not count that much. Now, the newly generated civil war by Mr. Trump's cronies and surrogates will be against all minorities.
4
Perhaps Trump is the antidote to the menace of the imperial presidency . Right or left, one can't help but fear a presidential institution where the executive can operate like a monarch, waging de facto war, changing our global environment and wielding federal funding to control local government. Trump's failure to use this power effectively represents opportunity for the legislative branch to reassert itself. And with this opportunity comes the obligation to find compromises that work for everyone.
6
“Congress has learned not to trust Mr. Trump to strike good deals and has seen quite enough of his negotiating skills.”
It’s about time.
Now, it’s about time for all voters to learn not to trust the Republican dominated Congress.
It’s about time.
Now, it’s about time for all voters to learn not to trust the Republican dominated Congress.
18
Trump is not the deal maker here. The deal making is behind the scenes, between the Trump billionaires and the GOP long-established billionaire backers.
9
And the Russian billionaires.
Reflecting on business and deal making, I continually look for principles and truths that transcend current circumstances; truths to apply anytime, anywhere. Over the years, the closest I've come to finding such truths is "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People." When it comes to the three habits targeting interpersonal behavior (Think Win-Win; Seek First to Understand, Then To Be Understood; Synergize), which are good guides to living up to The Golden Rule and living up to non-zero-sum game thinking, Mr. Trump fails on all three. As far as I can tell, he doesn't even try for any of them; actively seeks the opposite in fact. He appears to define a good deal as something good for him, while bad for all other parties. Short term he may think of that as a win. Eventually, such deals will invariably turn bad for all parties, including himself. For Trump, that eventually seems very close. Good luck to him, and good luck to us. :>(
9
It will be many years before the people of the United States recover from this disaster.
17
I can see one positive from this disasterous presidency, and that is a rebalancing of power among the three branches of government. For decades, the presidency has swelled with power as Congress' has diminished. Sen. McCain said it well a few weeks ago, admonishing his colleagues: " We are not the President's subordinates. We are his equals." Long after Mr.Trump is gone, this rebalancing now taking place will serve the country well, as the Founders intended.
22
Let's hope.
2
The ultimate deal making and horse trading is done in US Congress and Donald Trump has failed completely as he has divorced himself from the deal making crowd. Donald Trump forgot that in order to make a deal he needs the other party at the table and he has successfully blocked the appearance of the 2nd party to the table. Maybe he feels that the deals needs to be dictated only by one party with powerful lawyers on to the meek – which he successfully did to the little guys all his life by not paying their contracted amounts on many of his businesses.
Just using the hyperbole of biggest and the best or the largest etc., doesn’t make it so. Truth always prevail it may be slow in appearing on the crowd, but it always does.
Donald Trump is trying to be clever by taking the credit for everything good and trying to deflect criticism on everything that he was not able to deliver to Congress or even today to President Obama or HRC. For him the buck only stops at him if it turns out good or else he just wants to fire someone.
The sad part is that most of the people who put him in office are still buying his snake oil sales pitch.
US Congress is smart to make him irrelevant and compel him to follow the laws of this country and the will of the people.
Next the Congress must work to fix the ACA insurance exchanges prior to overhauling the ACA to provide Universal Healthcare for all Medicare for all. It is a National Security issue.
Just using the hyperbole of biggest and the best or the largest etc., doesn’t make it so. Truth always prevail it may be slow in appearing on the crowd, but it always does.
Donald Trump is trying to be clever by taking the credit for everything good and trying to deflect criticism on everything that he was not able to deliver to Congress or even today to President Obama or HRC. For him the buck only stops at him if it turns out good or else he just wants to fire someone.
The sad part is that most of the people who put him in office are still buying his snake oil sales pitch.
US Congress is smart to make him irrelevant and compel him to follow the laws of this country and the will of the people.
Next the Congress must work to fix the ACA insurance exchanges prior to overhauling the ACA to provide Universal Healthcare for all Medicare for all. It is a National Security issue.
16
Trump for America - A BAD DEAL
2
I can't imagine the GOP ever saw this bizarre personage as anything other than a vehicle for the consolidation of absolute corporate power: executive, legislative, and judicial. And Boy Are They Consolidating!
Now the one item at the top of the agenda is to, yes, "push aside" the figurehead. Will Mr. P. be sitting in the oval office a year from today, post impeachment/indictment?
A very thinkable prospect after one very unthinkable year.
Now the one item at the top of the agenda is to, yes, "push aside" the figurehead. Will Mr. P. be sitting in the oval office a year from today, post impeachment/indictment?
A very thinkable prospect after one very unthinkable year.
8
The Trump Administration has not yet been place for 6 months, so it is not a good measure how well the Trump team will do, yet, but the team does not have a lot of time remaining before the 2018 elections to define the large social, economic, and environmental problems that affect Americans, and the proposed policy solutions and initiatives.
There has not been a major crisis, yet, which is good. It should be a time for gains in improving our major public systems that broadly affect the quality of life and life expectancy of Americans.
E.g. we talk a lot about infrastructure but I have not seen initiatives that promise to reduce the huge annual toll in fatalities and injuries that occur on our highways. There are studies like that by the Civil Engineers that say that there is a huge backlogs of infrastructure work. Clearly, commuter system in our major metropolitan areas are aging and in poor state of repair.
The conditions on our highways will not get better as time passes. The late Senator Pat Moynihan, no slouch at policy analysis, envisioned in 1992 that we would be better off if we used the rights-of-way of the Interstate Highways to construct a very energy efficient 300 mph Maglev network. Even though this system has been proven by Japan, we still have not financed the testing and demonstration of this system invented by Americans, Powell and Danby, now improved by being a truck carrier, and adaptable to conventional rail making it a great commuter system.
There has not been a major crisis, yet, which is good. It should be a time for gains in improving our major public systems that broadly affect the quality of life and life expectancy of Americans.
E.g. we talk a lot about infrastructure but I have not seen initiatives that promise to reduce the huge annual toll in fatalities and injuries that occur on our highways. There are studies like that by the Civil Engineers that say that there is a huge backlogs of infrastructure work. Clearly, commuter system in our major metropolitan areas are aging and in poor state of repair.
The conditions on our highways will not get better as time passes. The late Senator Pat Moynihan, no slouch at policy analysis, envisioned in 1992 that we would be better off if we used the rights-of-way of the Interstate Highways to construct a very energy efficient 300 mph Maglev network. Even though this system has been proven by Japan, we still have not financed the testing and demonstration of this system invented by Americans, Powell and Danby, now improved by being a truck carrier, and adaptable to conventional rail making it a great commuter system.
5
One-percenters have private jets. They don't care about highways or trains.
Citizens United provided the means to inject unlimited dark money into election campaigns, which the one-percenters immediately used to buy a presidency.
Nothing will be done by this administration for average Americans. Nothing.
Citizens United provided the means to inject unlimited dark money into election campaigns, which the one-percenters immediately used to buy a presidency.
Nothing will be done by this administration for average Americans. Nothing.
Its still a travesty we have to call this man Mr. President. Even if Republicans are coming around to the fact they have to make their own way if they want to get anything done, and this includes working with Democrats, the fact they even voted for this man raises questions about their judgment, intellectual integrity, and commitment to our democracy.
21
It both raises questions and provides the answers.
1
I wouldn't congratulate the house and senate republicans for seeing the light. They are the ones who made it possible for Trump to be in the WH. While Trump's family and in-laws amass wealth, the country continues to get no leadership from the WH or the GOP. I am afraid the GOP is actually much worse than Trump, we would know if they tweeted as often.
35
One minor point to add to this editorial summation of the failures to date of Trump and his administration: The Republicans' 7-year effort to repeal and replace Obamacare (mentioned in the 10th paragraph) has not actually come to an end, as it never actually got started. The repeal-and-replace slogan got started as soon as Obamacare was enacted, but Republican work on the replacement has never gotten beyond the slogan. The core Republican belief that free markets cure everything precludes them from thinking seriously about a replacement, but enough Republican Congressman know that they will be voted out of office if they actually try to replace Obamacare with nothing, or something utterly insufficient.
36
It seems harsh reality has entered the fray in regards to Trumps credibility. The reality is he has none. He has literally by way of his own boisterous car
5
When will the people of the US finally realize that Trump is and was a terrible businessman....a terrible manager...a lying scoundrel....totally incompetent,,,a poor negotiator...everyone in the NY real estate industry knew about him and ran away from him....they laugh at him..,,
That said...he was and still great at one thing...self promotion....and that is what he has taught his children....when people claim how wonderful a father he has been...that is also more non-factual promotion...they are all carved from his image...empty self promoters..,,
So it is no surprise to anyone that has known Trump throughout his professional career that he is failing as a manager, leader or negotiator,,,,he is weak...limited intellectually..limited emotionally...
His reaction to adversity is to fight..,(see Roy Cohn)...so he will not back down...this is going to the mats....and he will lose...while America has already lost so much....
That said...he was and still great at one thing...self promotion....and that is what he has taught his children....when people claim how wonderful a father he has been...that is also more non-factual promotion...they are all carved from his image...empty self promoters..,,
So it is no surprise to anyone that has known Trump throughout his professional career that he is failing as a manager, leader or negotiator,,,,he is weak...limited intellectually..limited emotionally...
His reaction to adversity is to fight..,(see Roy Cohn)...so he will not back down...this is going to the mats....and he will lose...while America has already lost so much....
70
It's so sad that New Yorkers who new the real Trump were not able to communicate to the rest of the U.S. voters who were deluded. On the other hand I think those deluded U.S. voters are starting to see it now and also see it in the congressional republicans. The Cottonsand, Cornyns, kCrues are "Cruzin for a bruzin", at least I hope so! I am so tired and disgusted by racists, sexists, misogynists, grifting republicans.
2
To be fair, we don't yet know enough about Tiffany and Baron to paint them with the same brush.
Otherwise, I agree with you.
Otherwise, I agree with you.
We all know that, but guns and abortion drive the vote.
Give Trump a break, he is too busy making deals for his personal empire to bother with the American people. There's only so much time in his day after nasty or fake news tweets and golf. After all, he wanted the presidency as a power base to cut deals globally and he got it.
The type of deals he wants to make America can do without. He is more harmful than global warming.
The type of deals he wants to make America can do without. He is more harmful than global warming.
38
So, what do we need HIM for? Congress has been going behind our backs, while we all do the "Squirrel!" routine with tRump. The stuff they have done, so far, will change our country for at least the foreseeable future, if not forever. Is this what you want? Have you benefited from ANY of it?
17
Explain how congress "has been going behind our backs..."
I've accepted the futility of those in the know warning those in the hope that a loud-mouthed braggart, which includes more than the effete Donald Trump, will always fall on deaf ears of the intentionally and proudly so uninformed knot out there who insists the bizarre junk they've been fed as fact through Fox News, Breitbard, Daily Caller and even the deplorable and ignorant and aggrandizing Alex Jones who shouldn't be believed on even what the weather is at the moment, that knot will believe what it wants the explanation to be for all their woes. Times change, life changes over its course. No one likes to accept losing their slot near the top but remaining ignorant only guarantees that will happen. Living life as a dynamic is a difficult thing to do and sad when masses gain the power to trash reality.
10
There's a good reason Clinton got 60 percent of the vote in New York, even beating Trump in Manhattan, and in his homerown borough of Queens. People in New York have seen this vulgar, ignorant, celebrity-seeking shyster strutting around for decades, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. He's reviled in his home state. That speaks volumes. The same is true for Pence. Very unpopular in Indiana. It's since been debunked that Trump said if he were to run for president that he'd run as a republican because Fox viewers are so stupid, but he may as well have said it, because their stupidity elected him.
53
Bless his heart, Donald Trump thinks he made the sun rise this morning.
18
Gosh we hoped the lazy,
Gosh, we were planning on the lazy, hazy ,DAZE of summer to give us
at least a small relief from all "this winning"! It's all just too much!
Gosh, we were planning on the lazy, hazy ,DAZE of summer to give us
at least a small relief from all "this winning"! It's all just too much!
1
This is a brillian editorial. I only wish the NYT, along with dozens of other major dailies, had spent more time examining Trump instead of treating him like entertainment-for ad-dollars for two years.
Frankly, Garry Trudeau could not have come up with a better cartoon character than Trump for his Doonesbury strip. Aaron Sorkin could make Trump & Company into a new series (albeit as few episodes as possible) for his monumental creation, The West Wing.
Let's face it: the right-wingnuts were created and funded by the Kochs, Addleson, and hundreds of conservative millionaires around the country who supported Murdoch's tabloid "news" tv show, Fox News, Limbaugh, Savage, Jones, ... they reached out to the mininally informed to infuse their heads with fear of the non-white, non-Christian world. While I know many conservatives with college degrees, they have also been an incurious bunch. Focused on work and play, they've paid little attention to the real news beyond their local news-weather-traffic-sports. The news of the nation and the world remain mysteries and largely unknown. Ask them about locations of countries; or, who the world's leader are. College degrees or not, the Trump voters are insulated from The Real World because conservative media feeds them the simplistic and agreeable "news" they can agree with.
That's who voted for Trump. They bought into the pomp and gold-plated glitz of a huckster. There's one born every minute, as the saying goes.
Frankly, Garry Trudeau could not have come up with a better cartoon character than Trump for his Doonesbury strip. Aaron Sorkin could make Trump & Company into a new series (albeit as few episodes as possible) for his monumental creation, The West Wing.
Let's face it: the right-wingnuts were created and funded by the Kochs, Addleson, and hundreds of conservative millionaires around the country who supported Murdoch's tabloid "news" tv show, Fox News, Limbaugh, Savage, Jones, ... they reached out to the mininally informed to infuse their heads with fear of the non-white, non-Christian world. While I know many conservatives with college degrees, they have also been an incurious bunch. Focused on work and play, they've paid little attention to the real news beyond their local news-weather-traffic-sports. The news of the nation and the world remain mysteries and largely unknown. Ask them about locations of countries; or, who the world's leader are. College degrees or not, the Trump voters are insulated from The Real World because conservative media feeds them the simplistic and agreeable "news" they can agree with.
That's who voted for Trump. They bought into the pomp and gold-plated glitz of a huckster. There's one born every minute, as the saying goes.
34
Do you think the glitz is plated with real gold? I seriously doubt it. It's probably plated with cheap alloys, or plastic that's painted or coated to look like gold.
Have you looked at Ivanka's products? They're cheap plastic made to look nice.
Have you looked at Ivanka's products? They're cheap plastic made to look nice.
1
We have the president we deserve. This is not because some people voted for him. It is because people did not vote, some did not like the alternative and decided to no vote because Sanders was not the candidate. They never believe this clown will win. But here we are. It is as a bigger fault for those that did not vote at all, basically they gave him the green pass. Stop complaining and think better next time what is worst ; no voting or voting for the one that is less crazy. Yes he is crazy incompetent and all the things you want to name him, it also he is so stupid that he does not understand he is the president. SO next time think about what is better voting for the less bad or not voting
28
I like what you said but I would add that just as bad as not voting is ignorant voting. Separating fact from fiction and analyzing the results is the duty of an educated voter. Trump has not changed from when he started running to now. He has been the same throughout his personal and political career. So the failure also lies with those that were dumb enough to think he is something other than what he is or would change. I say dumb just because Trump is so much easier to read than most people. Worst is those that actually want a person like Trump to be president.
2
Who would have thought that we would have Ralph Kramden as our president? Jackie Gleason must be laughing in his grave!
10
Trump has succeeded at one thing. He makes the members of Congress look like reasonable adults, if only by contrast.
If our country is very, very lucky they will begin to act like reasonable adults, if only to stymie Trump.
If our country is very, very lucky they will begin to act like reasonable adults, if only to stymie Trump.
15
Well put and here is the interesting thing, for me at least. Trump is an unmitigated disaster so what good can come of that? A strengthening of our collective resolve to absolve ourselves of this type of extreme failure. No better place to start than in congress!
Remember the saying GW Bush famously flubbed,
"Fool me once ... shame on ... you. Fool me ... we can't get fooled again!!"
I hope that Trump supporters have the ability to finally see through this man. Of course, it would also entail understanding and comprehending how badly Fox "News" has misled them and that the mainstream media has been quite accurate in their reporting all along. These realizations will be very difficult for many to swallow but this biblical quote might be worth remembering -
"Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud."
"Fool me once ... shame on ... you. Fool me ... we can't get fooled again!!"
I hope that Trump supporters have the ability to finally see through this man. Of course, it would also entail understanding and comprehending how badly Fox "News" has misled them and that the mainstream media has been quite accurate in their reporting all along. These realizations will be very difficult for many to swallow but this biblical quote might be worth remembering -
"Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud."
9
It seems harsh reality has entered the fray in regards to Trumps credibility. The reality is he has none. He has literally by way of his own boisterous, careless and foolish actions destroyed any confidence in his abilities to govern in an intellectual and reasoned manner. He has offended so many people, races and genders that he has exposed himself for the elitist racist bigot he is. He also chooses to surround himself with like minded staff. Essentially removing any sense of human decency in terms of treating all people as equals. The result is that the right is faced with a situation in which they have no choice but to distance themselves from him. I personally from day one expressed my opinion that if nothing else he might possibly inadvertently force the two major parties together. Of course nothing will come of it simply because Trump will not be able to accept anything he can't take personal credit for. You can bet your first born that if bipartisan cooperation returns to the process Trump will be sure to let us all know that was his plan all along.
Imagine that, a president so bad that congress has no choice but to treat each other as reasonable equal factions. How ironic is it that one persons dysfunctional idiocy may be just what this country needed to get back on track.
Imagine that, a president so bad that congress has no choice but to treat each other as reasonable equal factions. How ironic is it that one persons dysfunctional idiocy may be just what this country needed to get back on track.
11
This is exactly what I have been saying all along. It takes struggle and pain to become strong. Trump is forcing us voters and congress to confront a very dysfunctional system. Too much partisanship and not enough love for the country and what it stands for!
Trump may end up doing more good than harm though I know it is hard to imagine.
Trump may end up doing more good than harm though I know it is hard to imagine.
1
This guy has never, ever, been a great negotiator. Until recently he was nothing but a great and vociferous bully - quite different. Throughout his life he has failed at every big deal he has faced:, Taj Mahal, Trump Air, Tour de Trump, football league, and recently his fraudulent Trump University. He has been of negotiating a deal in any of those cases. As to his performance as president, it has been a disaster and pathetic. Just look at his widely ridiculed Trumpcare and his Russian connection. He is in a legal pickle from which he has been incapable and unable to navigate through.
10
Putin is the winning dealer. If Mr. Mueller's investigation does not result in President Trump's removal from office, Putin will continue to build on his already established success: Trump has been installed as Putin's "useful idiot." Trump's greed and kleptocratic tendencies will continue to demoralize and "Russianize" the American people:
"Russian life [is marked by] the all-pervasive cynicism that no institution is to be trusted, because no institution is bigger than the avarice of the person in charge."--Michael Idov, "Russia: Life After Trust," N. Y. Magazine (Jan. 23-Feb. 5, 2017), p. 22.
Trump's avarice is beyond reasonable doubt. The plutocratic Trump administration and the pro-plutocratic GOP agenda are effectively demoralizing the larger American public and fostering an increasingly cynical view of politics, politicians and America's role in the world.
A demoralized people will view Trump's foreign and domestic policies with cynical skepticism. The American people will remain divided, ineffective and resentful. Further weakening of public trust in Trump's "leadership" will invite foreign enemies to test American power and resolve.
If Vladimir Putin by his electoral interference had hoped to weaken America's international prestige and leadership he has already succeeded beyond his wildest dreams. Is there much doubt that Putin and others will seize the moment, test America's resolve and attempt to further diminish our nation's international reputation?
"Russian life [is marked by] the all-pervasive cynicism that no institution is to be trusted, because no institution is bigger than the avarice of the person in charge."--Michael Idov, "Russia: Life After Trust," N. Y. Magazine (Jan. 23-Feb. 5, 2017), p. 22.
Trump's avarice is beyond reasonable doubt. The plutocratic Trump administration and the pro-plutocratic GOP agenda are effectively demoralizing the larger American public and fostering an increasingly cynical view of politics, politicians and America's role in the world.
A demoralized people will view Trump's foreign and domestic policies with cynical skepticism. The American people will remain divided, ineffective and resentful. Further weakening of public trust in Trump's "leadership" will invite foreign enemies to test American power and resolve.
If Vladimir Putin by his electoral interference had hoped to weaken America's international prestige and leadership he has already succeeded beyond his wildest dreams. Is there much doubt that Putin and others will seize the moment, test America's resolve and attempt to further diminish our nation's international reputation?
9
According to Trump, "If you can't make a good deal with a politician, then there's something wrong with you. You're certainly not very good".
Oh, dear.
Oh, dear.
7
The irony here is that Trump may be able to accomplish something that President Obama was not: getting Republicans to work with Democrats on bipartisan solutions.
6
Yes!
I strongly encourage journalists and talking heads to, whenever referencing The Art of the Deal, clearly state the truth that Donald J. Trump DID NOT write that book...that his ghost writer, Tony Schwartz, wrote most of it for him after discovering there was very little of substance to Trump's image as a dealmaker, let alone thinker.
Perpetuating the now long-disproven myth that Trump wrote The Art of the Deal does everyone—including our bumbling President—a terrible disservice, for Mr. Trump must suffer under the weight of unrealistic expectations.
Perpetuating the now long-disproven myth that Trump wrote The Art of the Deal does everyone—including our bumbling President—a terrible disservice, for Mr. Trump must suffer under the weight of unrealistic expectations.
13
The book was nothing more than a piece of PR commissioned by Trump to bamboozle those who are easily fooled. Typical vanity piece by a con artist. Not all ghost-written books are dishonest, but who believes Trump could write a coherent paragraph? He can barely utter a coherent sentence.
1
Trump has shown us in the first 6 months of his presidency that he is a great deal maker on his behalf and no one else's. He is not making deals with corporations or countries or congress...he isn't even trying,
Trump is running the country the same way he runs his businesses...he presents the brand and the front and other people put up all of the money and do all of the work...except his administration is full of folks looking to cash out a life of gains with no taxes and the rest are unfilled positions - there is no one there to do the work and no one lining up to do the jobs.
He has defrauded us all with the complete complicity of the republicans in congress who are too cowardly to stand up to him and too beholden to their donors to do the job their constituents elected them to do.
Trump is running the country the same way he runs his businesses...he presents the brand and the front and other people put up all of the money and do all of the work...except his administration is full of folks looking to cash out a life of gains with no taxes and the rest are unfilled positions - there is no one there to do the work and no one lining up to do the jobs.
He has defrauded us all with the complete complicity of the republicans in congress who are too cowardly to stand up to him and too beholden to their donors to do the job their constituents elected them to do.
18
Should be "The Art of the Steal"
7
In his largest bankruptcy, Trump was essentially baled out by creditors who decided they would recoup more of their money if they left the Trump name on the assets he no longer owned.Now he is President, Republicans in and outside Congress are deciding whether they can "recoup" more of their political agenda with him in or out of the Oval Office.The verdict on passing legislation is in, he is a liability.The issue of re-election comes next.Once the base realizes it was duped by a Fifth Avenue shell game, it will hopefully decide he is not a better option than the people in Washington who he told them he was taking on on their behalf.At that point, there will be no deal other than "go".
Lets hope he doesn't do something disastrous, like start a war, when he sees the possibility of a deal vanish in front of his eyes.
Lets hope he doesn't do something disastrous, like start a war, when he sees the possibility of a deal vanish in front of his eyes.
10
Relentless huckstering often works in the business world and all politicians use a little hype to sell their ideas. But at no time in our history have we become so hoodwinked by a complete fraud, devoid of values, intelligence, civic mindedness, and rational, critical thinking. I watched the movie FOUNDER last night with Michael Keaton and saw the parallels between Trump and Ray Croc who steamrolled to decent capitalists to franchise America and the world with cheap hamburgers. It works in business, but running government requires more than greedy persistence. Yes a third of the nation will fall for the bluster, especially those desperate to escape stagnation of economic fortune. A man who lies as he breathes cannot sustain the credibility necessary to lead a democratic republic.
6
Your smug satisfaction that Trump is failing is a depressing indicator of your intent: to take him down, rather than inform. You don't want things to work better because that would help Trump, so you have chosen to undermine him by constant sniping, only some of which is deserved. As the President of the United States for the next 3+ years would say: "Sad."
1
Trump doesn't need media help to derail his presidency. He's doing a terrific job all by himself. If he spent as much time doing his job as he does whining (and wasting time) on Twitter, he might be more effective. His party controls the government. Why can't he get anything done? Because he's not doing anything. Simple.
2
You're describing the republican (and mr. trump's) strategy over the eight years that Obama was President. It's not the newspapers that set the combative tone we are witnessing. Nobody made mr. trump insult all the previous living Presidents to their faces during his inauguration speech. Nobody made him ignore the over-half of the country who voted for Hillary. Mr. trump is the one who continues to insult the press, belittle many Americans, and act like a buffoon with his twitter account. Trump's party controls ALL the levers of government and he still can't get anything done. Their is nobody to blame but him and the people that foolishly voted for him.
1
Trump is taking all of us down. How blind can you possibly be? He's enriching himself and anyone he'd like a favor from in the process, and plundering America's coffers in the process. Don't you even care? Where are the great patriots? I do agree it's a dispiriting read, but the truth isn't always sunshine and unicorns.
3
Trump's failure to pass healthcare reform was astonishing on several levels. When members of congress would try to engage with him on particular provisions of draft bills for which they had concerns, he would brush them aside because he knew nothing of the details and has no curiosity to learn them. A cheerleader for legislation he does not understand that affects huge portions of the economy?
It was even more astonishing that during the critical week when the senate was voting on 3 different bills, he tweeted vicious, baseless attacks against his attorney general-- a former senator. Everyone knew the vote would be close in the senate, and Sessions is popular among his republican colleagues in the senate. He also chose that week to make an inappropriate political speech to the boy scouts, for which he received substantial criticism.
The takeaway is not that he's a skilled dealmaker but am impulsive, narcissistic, petty buffoon whose inability to control his worst instincts sabotages his agenda.
It was even more astonishing that during the critical week when the senate was voting on 3 different bills, he tweeted vicious, baseless attacks against his attorney general-- a former senator. Everyone knew the vote would be close in the senate, and Sessions is popular among his republican colleagues in the senate. He also chose that week to make an inappropriate political speech to the boy scouts, for which he received substantial criticism.
The takeaway is not that he's a skilled dealmaker but am impulsive, narcissistic, petty buffoon whose inability to control his worst instincts sabotages his agenda.
13
I guess the thing to ponder now is why so many were fooled by him and still stubbornly continue to be fooled by him, even though they see what a low human being he is. And what does their willful ignorance bode for the future of this country?
8
Look, trying to make any sense out of what we're witnessing has us possibly exploring some uncomfortable things. I keep wondering, after all that we've seen with Trump so far, the flip-flopping, the lying, blaming somebody else, his surrogates defending him, how there is a "base" that still accepts this. The only conclusion I can come to, being an African American, is that these are the people that hated the fact that America had a Black president, and Trump has shown them that he is the person to restore the White race to control in America, and anything and anybody that's contrary to that is their enemy. Change? That's what was assumed these people wanted, right? This IS that change for them, trying to restore the Jim Crow era that gave Whites the confidence that, whatever level they were on, socially or economically,
12
Wow. You might be right. A bigly sad thought. Speaking of Jim Crow - how about the NAACP issuing travel warnings for people of color for my home state of Missouri? What a depressing domino effect Trump's racism has had.
1
I have one concern: The editorial is absolutely correct in stating that the Congress is moving forward in spite of President Trump. There is a bipartisan committee working on making fixes to the ACA, there is room for bipartisanship on infrastructure, and we've seen bipartisanship on issues such as Russia and recess appointments. Conceivably, this is a good thing; congressional unity, that is.
This might be in spite of Trump, but it is also happening during Trump's presidency. So it is possible that--instead of these actions being taken as a sign of Trump's failures--the ability of Congress to begin getting things done by working together will benefit the president. After all, this is something that has seemingly eluded subsequent POTUS' since, at best, the late 1990s. So even if the cause is being a poor dealmaker, as Trump has proven himself, is it possible that he will still be able to take credit for the accomplishments Congress ultimately makes in spite of him?
This might be in spite of Trump, but it is also happening during Trump's presidency. So it is possible that--instead of these actions being taken as a sign of Trump's failures--the ability of Congress to begin getting things done by working together will benefit the president. After all, this is something that has seemingly eluded subsequent POTUS' since, at best, the late 1990s. So even if the cause is being a poor dealmaker, as Trump has proven himself, is it possible that he will still be able to take credit for the accomplishments Congress ultimately makes in spite of him?
2
Essentially yes. Trump is so bad that congress is forced to unite to do anything. Hopefully he will take credit and be discredited. That congress works together in a bipartisan fashion is almost priceless.
For decades, business reporters have echoed what business leaders said and lionized them, even more than athletes. These business leaders could screw up (and often did), and the media still seeks their advice. One example: Sam Zell, the maverick. Americans love mavericks. But he turned his companies into Zell Hell, and TWITs (Talentless Writers Inventing Trends) still quote him on his current views. Bill Agee, the man with the reverse Midas touch. But he and his wife were great fodder for the media. Larry Summers of Harvard, helped the economy crash, and yet he insisted that women aren't as good as men in STEM, so the media took that part as gospel. And credit default swaps and derivatives, the rage of Wall Street. So, I have a bad debt, and I want to swap it for someone else's bad debt? I don't think so. Aren't legitimate stock options also a form of derivatives (from trading regular shares)? Proprietary trading is often illegal, but you don't know that until things such as Madoff's Ponzi scheme is uncovered.
Here is some advice to everyone, especially reporters. Ask questions, even the proverbial stupid question. If your interviewee can't explain it, he doesn't understand it, either.
Here is some advice to everyone, especially reporters. Ask questions, even the proverbial stupid question. If your interviewee can't explain it, he doesn't understand it, either.
17
I would like to see more comments here from Trump supporters, one of which I am NOT. I am trying to understand why they voted for Trump and why they cling to the idea that he is doing a good job for America.
One Trump supporter made a comment here this morning that included a list of Trump accomplishments thus far in his reign, but there was no documentation provided for these so-called accomplishments. So as far as I am concerned, they are just personal opinions of the writer.
One Trump supporter made a comment here this morning that included a list of Trump accomplishments thus far in his reign, but there was no documentation provided for these so-called accomplishments. So as far as I am concerned, they are just personal opinions of the writer.
15
SUSAN, the operative with these people is they are entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts. We need to hold their feet to the fire to get the truth out. Never, ever take them at face value. Snopes is a good place to get the real truth. There are many others as well.
7
Obama passed ACA because Dems always vote in lockstep even if they don't really believe a piece of legislation is good for their state or in general the country. So ACA passed via Presidential lies and bribes to senators in Nebraska and Louisiana. Republicans as evidenced by the last 8 months do not vote in lock step. In any given piece of legislation there are many differences of opinion in the house and senate. That's why deals with democrats will be the only way to advance any bill . Pro Trumpers don't view this situation as Trumps fault. He is teeing up the issues while house and senate leaders are powerless to advance them As I've said their are to many differing points of view with republicans. Many pro Trumpers hope this will force some bi-partisan legislation - that's my hope anyway
Hey Susan, I am just watching news about how the UN has stepped up to further sanctions against North Korea. So the US is dealing with Russia and China to try and manage NK's thirst for a nuclear arsenal.
Is that a deal? Should Trump and the US NOT deal with Russia to sanction NK? Would you prefer to continue the Russia Russia Russia narrative against Trump or would you suggest that the sanctions with Russia (AND China) against the North Koreans should STOP?
And speaking of deals, the NYT today reports on Quaalcom's business with the Chinese. Would you try and stop QCOM's business too because of China China China?
How far will you go to stop deals being made in this complicated world?
Or is it not really a case of understanding Trump voters at all, but just more "resistance"? Tell the truth!!
Is that a deal? Should Trump and the US NOT deal with Russia to sanction NK? Would you prefer to continue the Russia Russia Russia narrative against Trump or would you suggest that the sanctions with Russia (AND China) against the North Koreans should STOP?
And speaking of deals, the NYT today reports on Quaalcom's business with the Chinese. Would you try and stop QCOM's business too because of China China China?
How far will you go to stop deals being made in this complicated world?
Or is it not really a case of understanding Trump voters at all, but just more "resistance"? Tell the truth!!
What people are failing to realize in a huge way is that all the BREAKING NEWS and drama that occurs on a daily basis is capturing the attention of the public, while in the background, the federal bench is being stacked with far right judges that will sit for years and years to come and affect generations. If Ginsberg or Kennedy or both decide to retire, we'll have a far right SC as well.
So keep watching the soap that unfolds every day but even if he is ousted or blown away in the next election, the damage will have already been done. And it will be lasting.
So keep watching the soap that unfolds every day but even if he is ousted or blown away in the next election, the damage will have already been done. And it will be lasting.
36
This editorial is too.optimistic about what trump can't achieve.
It may be that the Trump chaos machine is making big legislation unlikely, but while the media discusses his self contradictory tweets all day, his fox-in-every-henhouse cabinet is destroying the government from the inside out. And he is set to install judges in the spots that Obama was never allowed to fill by McConnell. Will the Democrats stop them? I'm not holding my breath.
And Schumer offered to cooperate on "tax reform," as long as there are no tax cuts for the wealthy, but for Republicans tax reform is tax cuts for the wealthy, so when the Democrats compromise to get a bipartisan deal, what will that give us? Tax cuts for the wealthy, the very thing that has been destroying our economy for decades.
Then you have Trump shredding our foreign policy, openly attacking everything good this country does while doubling down on the bad. Diplomacy is being run by a skeleton crew while Trump courts despots and insults Europe. Exactly what Russia would want.
Trump's apparent insanity provides cover for a lot of bad things to happen while the news media parses his tweets and tries to keep up with the mountain of circumstantial evidence that his campaign colluded with Russia, including his weakening if NATO. I wouldn't be surprised if Russia is a fake news story, that he purposely feeds as a distraction.
Like Westworld, this game has deeper levels. Don't get lost in the superficial.
It may be that the Trump chaos machine is making big legislation unlikely, but while the media discusses his self contradictory tweets all day, his fox-in-every-henhouse cabinet is destroying the government from the inside out. And he is set to install judges in the spots that Obama was never allowed to fill by McConnell. Will the Democrats stop them? I'm not holding my breath.
And Schumer offered to cooperate on "tax reform," as long as there are no tax cuts for the wealthy, but for Republicans tax reform is tax cuts for the wealthy, so when the Democrats compromise to get a bipartisan deal, what will that give us? Tax cuts for the wealthy, the very thing that has been destroying our economy for decades.
Then you have Trump shredding our foreign policy, openly attacking everything good this country does while doubling down on the bad. Diplomacy is being run by a skeleton crew while Trump courts despots and insults Europe. Exactly what Russia would want.
Trump's apparent insanity provides cover for a lot of bad things to happen while the news media parses his tweets and tries to keep up with the mountain of circumstantial evidence that his campaign colluded with Russia, including his weakening if NATO. I wouldn't be surprised if Russia is a fake news story, that he purposely feeds as a distraction.
Like Westworld, this game has deeper levels. Don't get lost in the superficial.
17
Editorial on Trump administration lack of negotiating skills is bad timing today. China and Russia just voted for sanctions on North Korea. Let's be fair. That is a major accomplishment.
2
People need to vent and feel like they're not alone in this. Even if one's health depends on taking a giant break from reading this stuff every once in awhile.
yes, for Russia and China. What did the trump have to do with it? I'm betting zero - as usual.
1
which had zero to do with DJT, who was on the golf course when happened and probably couldn't locate either country on a map!
1
All nations are, to some extent, works of fiction. Lines are drawn on a map, words are set down on paper, fables are passed from one generation to the next and citizens see themselves as part of a coherent whole because they believe they are. Nations collapse when the gaps between belief and reality become too large and insupportable. The beauty of Trump is that he is forcing Americans to confront the gulf between our national imaginary and the reality of living in America. I hope he remains in office until the whole myth collapses and we have to start something new, something just, something without the racism, sexism, homophobia, and forms of privilege Trump and crew make so undeniably apparent.
8
That might be a nice idea if millions weren't threatened by the real harm he's causing.
4
The point exactly. How much pain is it worth enduring to get to a point where you overcome and are stronger.
1
It's hard to find comfort in that concept when nearly half of America voted for this idiot. You expect them to do you any favors during the apocalypse? They'd sell "Enjoy the Rapture" t-shirts and welcome the devastation as far as I can tell.
3
The worst thing Trump did was run for POTUS. Now everyone can see what a fraud he really is. He could have gone along for the rest of his life with people thinking he really was a successful businessman. Now we see him for the lying clown he really is. He is a joke as president and must have been a fraudulent joke as a businessman. Can't wait until Mueller's investigation exposes his tax records and we find that he isn't the billionaire he claims to be.
26
Trump's name is on "The Art of the Deal," but it was ghost-written. I have a hard time believing that anyone writing for the New York Times accepts Trump at his own self-declared value: he failed to carry New York and New Jersey by large margins, lost New York City 4 - 1. He is a disaster as a person, and that is amplified by the office of the Presidency. I certainly hope that Congress and the Senate are going to leash him, because that is supposed to be part of the function of a tripartite government.
I hope, further, that Robert Mueller turns up enough evidence to rid us of this problem permanently.
I hope, further, that Robert Mueller turns up enough evidence to rid us of this problem permanently.
15
I don't believe anyone is seeing much in the way of social progress in the US these days. The majority of effort on the part of the White House is focussed on merely surviving the next news bulletin on all of the chaos that they seem to have brought with them.
Mr. Trump and his family are now working in a very different setting from what they are used to. When things go sour in private enterprise they turned to lawyers and the bankruptcy courts to get out from under the consequences of their bad decisions.
Now they are responsible to the American people; will voters be as kind to them as the bankruptcy courts have been?
Trump and his family have lived a privileged existence but now must be accountable to others, something they are not used to. The patience of the American people is being tested and they will tolerate only so much foolishness, especially when it comes to something as important as health care, education and taxes.
The mid-term elections will be a good forecast of the the 2020 election. Democrats need to get organized and find a good candidate for president if they want to stop the slow motion train-wreck that is the current state of American governance.
Mr. Trump and his family are now working in a very different setting from what they are used to. When things go sour in private enterprise they turned to lawyers and the bankruptcy courts to get out from under the consequences of their bad decisions.
Now they are responsible to the American people; will voters be as kind to them as the bankruptcy courts have been?
Trump and his family have lived a privileged existence but now must be accountable to others, something they are not used to. The patience of the American people is being tested and they will tolerate only so much foolishness, especially when it comes to something as important as health care, education and taxes.
The mid-term elections will be a good forecast of the the 2020 election. Democrats need to get organized and find a good candidate for president if they want to stop the slow motion train-wreck that is the current state of American governance.
19
The only infrastructure he's ever been interested in building up is inside his own bank accounts.
His altruistic sounding claims about wanting to rebuild America's airports and railroads were transparently preposterous and fraudulent from the start.
This man is interested in two things only, self enrichment and self aggrandizement.
Everything he says that is not in complete alignment with the above can be safely dismissed out of hand.
His altruistic sounding claims about wanting to rebuild America's airports and railroads were transparently preposterous and fraudulent from the start.
This man is interested in two things only, self enrichment and self aggrandizement.
Everything he says that is not in complete alignment with the above can be safely dismissed out of hand.
19
Anything you need to know about Trump is reveled in a New Yorker article by Tony S, the ghostwriter Trump hired to fabricate his book "art of the deal". Here's a short excerpt:
“I put lipstick on a pig,” he said. “I feel a deep sense of remorse that I contributed to presenting Trump in a way that brought him wider attention and made him more appealing than he is.” He went on, “I genuinely believe that if Trump wins and gets the nuclear codes there is an excellent possibility it will lead to the end of civilization.”
If he were writing “The Art of the Deal” today, Schwartz said, it would be a very different book with a very different title. Asked what he would call it, he answered, “The Sociopath.”
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/07/25/donald-trumps-ghostwriter-t...
“I put lipstick on a pig,” he said. “I feel a deep sense of remorse that I contributed to presenting Trump in a way that brought him wider attention and made him more appealing than he is.” He went on, “I genuinely believe that if Trump wins and gets the nuclear codes there is an excellent possibility it will lead to the end of civilization.”
If he were writing “The Art of the Deal” today, Schwartz said, it would be a very different book with a very different title. Asked what he would call it, he answered, “The Sociopath.”
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/07/25/donald-trumps-ghostwriter-t...
12
Trump announces that he now considers himself a better president than Honest Abe. "Lincoln was just too much of a thinker, instead of a doer like me," Trump explained. He then went on to criticize Lincoln for freeing the slaves before stopping all the illegal immigration of Mexicans and Muslims going on at the time.
15
Trump is a complete liar who has never had to answer to anybody before, nor did his underlings question what he says. He has absolutely no details to his 'plans'. It will always bother me that so many people chose a man ruined many people's businesses and who runs his life on slogans, instead of a woman who had detailed plans and gave over 30 years of her life to public service. He is taking credit for the economy of the moment, pretending like Obama had nothing to do with the 7 year recovery from his predecessor' mistakes. We are in for a scary time with this deal maker, we are probably safer that he does nothing.
21
Soon, Trump will get to experience the "Art of the Being Sacked" firsthand.
5
The stench of lies, as Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now might have put it, eventually wakes almost everyone up, and those who have been lied to the most are usually the angriest. The only way the Republican party might try to redeem itself is by marginalizing Trump and working with Democrats on actual problems. They need to stop trying to further support Trumps fragile ego, or somehow cover for his embarrassing lies. They need to see how easily their own constituents -- the ones they are betraying on a regular basis -- can wake up and vote them out of office.
12
Everything you need to know about Trump's great deal making is reveled in The New Yorker article by Tony Schwartz, the ghostwriter Trump paid to fabricate his self image in the book "Art of the Deal".
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/07/25/donald-trumps-ghostwriter-t...
If only more people had read this article back in 2016:-/ What a Con job.
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/07/25/donald-trumps-ghostwriter-t...
If only more people had read this article back in 2016:-/ What a Con job.
7
This president is a big fat liar. Anything he says about himself is just braggadocio and not supported by reality. Donald J. Trump is a creation of his own imagination and not backed up by reality. Anyone who believes anything said by Trump is as delusional as Trump himself. So sad that the electoral college actually put this very, very bad actor in the Oval Office.
11
When is someone in the government going to call Trump out? "The President lies, continually, about matters large and small, vital and insignificant. This is both demeaning to the office and dangerous for the nation. I hope he will change this habit." Any takers? There's not one member of the House or the Senate with any guts at all.
7
Trump is oh, so Lost in Space. He suggests that, after seven years on health care, they should stop trying. But, he's the one that keeps prodding them along. And as always, he doesn't understand that, according to the Constitution, he merely implements the Foreign Policy, which Congress establishes. Sure, Congress has ceded foreign policy somewhat; but, it seems that it has now literally taken the Key to the Executive Washroom from Trumpie.
And of course, the Deal-Maker Par Excellence, down on one knee, pleading with Mexican President Pena-Neto, and Australian Prime Minister to cut him a Better Deal? How ignorant of Little Donnie not to realize the political consequences for the men on the other rend of the line? Pure arrogance, and lunacy!
As Vladimir Putin surely told Trump, there are no Mulligans on the world stage!
https://thetruthoncommonsense.com
And of course, the Deal-Maker Par Excellence, down on one knee, pleading with Mexican President Pena-Neto, and Australian Prime Minister to cut him a Better Deal? How ignorant of Little Donnie not to realize the political consequences for the men on the other rend of the line? Pure arrogance, and lunacy!
As Vladimir Putin surely told Trump, there are no Mulligans on the world stage!
https://thetruthoncommonsense.com
9
Most of us who followed the campaign knew, even before the election, that Trump, a narcissistic misogynistic uneducated charlatan, was totally unqualified to be president. The last 6 months comes as no surprise.
The real questions are, why is there so little mention of the real sources controlling our presidential figurehead and why is the GOP congress so cowered into blindly and silently following this program?
Like the iceberg, we're only privy to the 1/10 above the water line.
The real questions are, why is there so little mention of the real sources controlling our presidential figurehead and why is the GOP congress so cowered into blindly and silently following this program?
Like the iceberg, we're only privy to the 1/10 above the water line.
10
This swindlers 1st act as President Elect was to settle a $25,000,000 law suit for defrauding student at something called Trump University. Its been all down hill since.
8
After he resigns or is impeached, I wonder if he will ever again get anyone to make a deal with him. We have found out so many things about him that are off-putting, that I cannot imagine that someone would venture to buy his snake oil.
To 'deal' with Trump means that you can't expect that he would follow through with any promises made, that he will be ignorant of your side of the bargain, that you may not be paid, and disagreeing with him could saddle you with an expensive lawsuit.
It would serve him right, after the terrible damage that he has inflicted on our nation, to have destroyed his own trump brand forever. I believe he has already done so.
To 'deal' with Trump means that you can't expect that he would follow through with any promises made, that he will be ignorant of your side of the bargain, that you may not be paid, and disagreeing with him could saddle you with an expensive lawsuit.
It would serve him right, after the terrible damage that he has inflicted on our nation, to have destroyed his own trump brand forever. I believe he has already done so.
9
The reason don is so entrenched with Russian oligarchs and banks is that no other banks would loan him money (a string of bankruptcies and investigations made him a very bad risk and likely there's not much collateral of any value). He got into bed with Russian money (a.k.a. mobsters) and now he's trapped there. Unfortunately, millions of gullible Americans followed him into that trap and now the entire country is mired in it.
2
The US sure dug itself a deep hole by allowing its courts to become agents of extortionists.
1
Trump is a well-worn grifter who inherited money from his father. He didn't inherit his brains.
He is a creation of both himself and the media who bought it. To say nothing of his supporters, who swallowed his campaign boasts hook, line, and sinker.
Yet still, we own him. The country voted Trump into office and he is our President.
Can the country rid itself of this man? As the prescient among us wrote months ago, impeachment is not so much a legal act as a political one. The rustlings of Republican presidential contenders in 2020 has already started to happen. Pence amusingly being foremost among them. Right under the President's nose.
That's tells us a great deal. They don't think he's going to be around in 2020 to run. So the political barometer has already swung and they've seen it. They'r'e betting that Mueller already has something, something big. So when the um firestorm hits, Trump is going to be standing by himself.
But impeachment won't be necessary, he'll resign on his own. The relentless bad press will break his will to continue.
Before the midterms.
He is a creation of both himself and the media who bought it. To say nothing of his supporters, who swallowed his campaign boasts hook, line, and sinker.
Yet still, we own him. The country voted Trump into office and he is our President.
Can the country rid itself of this man? As the prescient among us wrote months ago, impeachment is not so much a legal act as a political one. The rustlings of Republican presidential contenders in 2020 has already started to happen. Pence amusingly being foremost among them. Right under the President's nose.
That's tells us a great deal. They don't think he's going to be around in 2020 to run. So the political barometer has already swung and they've seen it. They'r'e betting that Mueller already has something, something big. So when the um firestorm hits, Trump is going to be standing by himself.
But impeachment won't be necessary, he'll resign on his own. The relentless bad press will break his will to continue.
Before the midterms.
6
The most important fact about "The Art of the Deal" and DJT is that DJT did not write a word of it. Tony Schwartz wrote it. Period. DJT proved to be unable to pay attention long enough to complete a thought, so Mr Schwartz had to make it up and embellish as best he could. Mr Schwartz deserves credit for any logical grounding of DJT that comes from reading the book.
And therein lies the whole story of DJT. DJT is revealed once again as the pitiful empty vessel. Time and time again, DJT reveals his incoherence about everything. His only gear is lying and campaigning. We need to continue show him as he is. He should be directly quoted but not credited with any words from Art of the Deal.
And therein lies the whole story of DJT. DJT is revealed once again as the pitiful empty vessel. Time and time again, DJT reveals his incoherence about everything. His only gear is lying and campaigning. We need to continue show him as he is. He should be directly quoted but not credited with any words from Art of the Deal.
6
Trump is not good at making deals. He just says he is. His track record of bankruptcies, lawsuits vs partners, and banks and contractors who won't work with him any more, aren't the results of good deals he's made.
He is very good at lying. And you'd expect him to be, given all the practice he's had. When he claims he's good at deals and he gets a surprising number of people to believe him, it's because of being good at lying.
The reasons he can't make deals as the Pres are b) he doesn't understand or care how politics works, but, more bigly a) he never was much good at making deals.
He is very good at lying. And you'd expect him to be, given all the practice he's had. When he claims he's good at deals and he gets a surprising number of people to believe him, it's because of being good at lying.
The reasons he can't make deals as the Pres are b) he doesn't understand or care how politics works, but, more bigly a) he never was much good at making deals.
9
Trump is a pathological liar who lies concerning trivial matters as well as those of major import. He lies when the truth would better serve his own, his Party's and the nation's interests. He is good at lying only when his audience is readily bullied, already wallows in self-deception and is of a passive authoritarian disposition. Intelligent people who respect evidence and their own autonomy see through Trump's lies as soon as they are uttered.
Watching failing Trump in NYC since 1980 - I can assure you - he's many things, but a deal maker he is not - deal making requires a a least some empathy for others.
What Trump is: a bully, a thug, a conman, lier, and a man who would sell his own mother for a buck. Every business I know of associated with Trump is based on taking advantage of people who took his word, misrepresentation, fraud (Trump U) and for most of his great ideas and "deals" the end game was bankruptcy and ripping off small contractors and employees.
The only deal Trump will be making in DC at the end of this fiasco will be a plea bargain -
What Trump is: a bully, a thug, a conman, lier, and a man who would sell his own mother for a buck. Every business I know of associated with Trump is based on taking advantage of people who took his word, misrepresentation, fraud (Trump U) and for most of his great ideas and "deals" the end game was bankruptcy and ripping off small contractors and employees.
The only deal Trump will be making in DC at the end of this fiasco will be a plea bargain -
4
It's hard to understand the premise of this Editorial.
Especially with the history of Mr. Trump's so-called "deals" being so outrageously bad.
How many bankruptcies and lawsuits does it take before one realizes this is someone incapable of forging an honest business venture? -- It's been a given just about from the start, what a calamity this presidency would be.
You can't run a country like the head of a corporation.
Not when it's a Democracy, anyway.
Especially with the history of Mr. Trump's so-called "deals" being so outrageously bad.
How many bankruptcies and lawsuits does it take before one realizes this is someone incapable of forging an honest business venture? -- It's been a given just about from the start, what a calamity this presidency would be.
You can't run a country like the head of a corporation.
Not when it's a Democracy, anyway.
4
The Art of the Deal is really the Art of the Whine, as the text of his conversation with Pena Nieto shows all too well. Trump is nothing more than a bag of hot air, and the losers who keep showing up at his campaign rallies are the same ones who believe a Nigerian prince is promising to make them rich on the phone. Unfortunately it's not funny any more. Sooner or later our nation is going to face a real crisis, one that cannot be solved with bluster or another round of golf. Congress must act now to get rid of this farcical "president" because he's not only an international laughing stock but a threat to our national security.
3
Months from now the genius in the White House will be forced to divulge his secret plan to bring the democrats and republicans together because that's the only way anything will happen, sidelining trump and his idiotic machinations.
trump will take credit for whatever congress gets done. Kellyanne will swear she knew his plan all along, and the father will claim it was really trump jr's idea.
trump will take credit for whatever congress gets done. Kellyanne will swear she knew his plan all along, and the father will claim it was really trump jr's idea.
Disrespect starts with the headline referring to President Elect as "Mr. Trump" and goes downhill from there Discourtesy and incivility shown towards the c-in-c is profoundly insulting to his more than the 60 million aficionados who voted for him. Editors should have noted both establishment parties are dysfunctional, above all the GOP. What good can you say about an alleged opposition party that voted in favor of everything that Obama proposed, and having had 8 years to come up with an alternative to ACA,is still at loose ends on the issue. Long range goal of TIMES newspaper and liberal media is to delegitimize President , wear him down in hopes that he will quit or be impeached. Neither will occur.Trump loves being President, looks forward to confrontation and controversy as much as Sadaam Hussein loved going to war. What else would he have in life? He renounced hedonistic pleasures day he became a tea totaller, having learned from sad life of his brother who saw his life go rapidly downhill due to the grape and the grain. Can you enjoy "coquilles Saint Jacques" or "canard a l'orange " at Tour d'ARGENT prepared by France's finest chefs if you wash it down with a diet Coke?"Faites gaffe" Times newspaper and rest of liberal media. Advise against replacing 1 chaos with a second chaos, which might not end so handsomely as the last time a president was driven from office. We are no longer in the era when Breslin wrote with credibility "How the good guys Won!"
1
Trumps book should have been called the art of the lie. No President in History has less credibility than Trump.He can get away with it because his supporters want to believe what he says, it’s no different than going to church.Long ago, he realized that if you keep telling the same lie over & over again , people will start to believe its the truth.Lies have brought him to the White House..
3
Good editorial. But, let's not forget that the GOP Senate (we'll see about the house) is making a play here that's all about the 2018 midterms. By making themselves appear less monstrous they hope to save their seats, but also maybe get the few more they need to have a larger majority. They're not done with their agenda yet. Healthcare? It's just slumbering, not dead.
1
Knives out, NYT. Call him the liar he is. Call him a terrible moral and Presidential example. Our children cannot be taught to exemplify him.
The dead-end 38%ers of America love Trump, this is cult-like and cannot be broken. I think they also are fueled by the Left's paroxysm to his every move.
The dead-end 38%ers of America love Trump, this is cult-like and cannot be broken. I think they also are fueled by the Left's paroxysm to his every move.
187
They are fueled by racism, by their lack of trust in government (beginning at the local level) and their addictions to opiods. They want the world to slow down and revert back to the "good ole days".
1
If there is one lesson that the American electorate needs to take away from this, it is that details matter. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If someone says that they can provide wonderful health insurance to everyone and do it cheaper, ask them how, and if they don't tell you, show them the door. If some 40,000 more people in three key states had asked Trump one simple question, we would be in far better shape.
7
But this is exactly why the attack on the so-called "elite" or the so-called "Mainstream Media" or the so-called "political establishment" is so dangerous (and why Trump does it and encourages it). In our complicated society where "answers" are not easy, and solutions never perfect, no individual can be expected to always have the right questions or critical faculties. That's what experts are for; that's what investigative journalists are for; that's what a loyal opposition is for. But all Trump is for is creating enough suspicion towards such people, that the only thing anyone needs to be for is him.
3
Trump, more than 6 months into his only term in office (he'll never get himself elected to a public position again) still has no comprehension of the meaning of Lincoln's "of the people, by the people, for the people" description of American governing principle. It is ever and always only about Trump.
The best deals have benefit for all involved. For Trump, as long as he gains, nothing else is relevant. Finally, it seems that a few Republicans in Congress are conceding that if anything is to be accomplished in the next 2-4 years, they are the ones who will have to make the compromises that offer a leg up for all, and not just for Party. Trump will take credit for it, though. You can make book on that.
The best deals have benefit for all involved. For Trump, as long as he gains, nothing else is relevant. Finally, it seems that a few Republicans in Congress are conceding that if anything is to be accomplished in the next 2-4 years, they are the ones who will have to make the compromises that offer a leg up for all, and not just for Party. Trump will take credit for it, though. You can make book on that.
5
What a hoot. Before the election, he promises that Mexico will pay for the wall, after the election begs the Mexican president to cough up the funds, and is surprised when the answer is no, as if it's Mexico's responsibility to cover for him. We're getting a glimpse into his business practices. No surprises, but still, ugh.
11
The deal? The deal? Here is the deal:
Unconstitutionality, chaos, embarrassment, smallness, lies, kleptocracy, fraud, incompetence, collusion, hate speech, failure, authoritarianism, dishonesty, exaggeration, totalitarianism, extremism, iconoclasm, wastefulness, self promotion, rudeness, treachery, furtiveness, bombast, falsehoods, illegalities, ill mannered, xenophobia, echo chamber, cult of personality, cupidity, mean spiritedness, vileness, violence, racism, immaturity, dictatorial, destructive, unselfish-aware, egotism
THAT is the deal! He is unfit for humanity let alone the presidency. Full stop.
Unconstitutionality, chaos, embarrassment, smallness, lies, kleptocracy, fraud, incompetence, collusion, hate speech, failure, authoritarianism, dishonesty, exaggeration, totalitarianism, extremism, iconoclasm, wastefulness, self promotion, rudeness, treachery, furtiveness, bombast, falsehoods, illegalities, ill mannered, xenophobia, echo chamber, cult of personality, cupidity, mean spiritedness, vileness, violence, racism, immaturity, dictatorial, destructive, unselfish-aware, egotism
THAT is the deal! He is unfit for humanity let alone the presidency. Full stop.
18
Donald Trump is a grifter. He will come out of this presidency with more money and contacts. He focuses on walls, immigration and the failings of others to keep the focus off of what he is doing. What actually happens to the American people is nothing to him. We knew he was a snake......
12
Hey, don't offend snakes. Trump is a troll who has no place in the natural world.
We get the kind of leaders we deserve. If Trump is despicable now, that can hardly come as a surprise. If you're having substantive buyer's remorse, push for 25th Amendment procedures. Trump surely meets minimum quals for incompetence and dementia. And wire around him -- as Congress is beginning to do.
6
"Hey, Enrique, it's you and me against the world." "Wow, you speak better English than I do."
[Yes I CAN believe his English is better than Trump's gibberish and puerile word repetitions.]
These "leaks", like the "leaks" ("hacks") of Clinton's double dealing and talking out of both sides of her mouth, are most valuable for the public to see. And yes, they confirm what most of us expected.
But what a colossal embarrassment is this man sitting in our president's oval office holding a phone.
[Yes I CAN believe his English is better than Trump's gibberish and puerile word repetitions.]
These "leaks", like the "leaks" ("hacks") of Clinton's double dealing and talking out of both sides of her mouth, are most valuable for the public to see. And yes, they confirm what most of us expected.
But what a colossal embarrassment is this man sitting in our president's oval office holding a phone.
9
"Hey, Enrique.."
HL Mencken: "The men that American people admire the most extravagantly are the most daring liars. The men they detest the most violently are those who try to tell them the truth".
21
The deal? The deal? Here is the deal:
Unconstitutionality, chaos, embarrassment, smallness, lies, kleptocracy, fraud, incompetence, collusion, hate speech, failure, authoritarianism, dishonesty, exaggeration, totalitarianism, extremism, iconoclasm, wastefulness, self promotion, rudeness, treachery, furtiveness, bombast, falsehoods, illegalities, ill mannered, xenophobia, echo chamber, cult of personality, cupidity, mean spiritedness, vileness, violence, racism, immaturity, dictatorial, destructive, unselfish-aware, egotism
THAT is the deal! He is unfit for humanity let alone the presidency. Full stop.
Unconstitutionality, chaos, embarrassment, smallness, lies, kleptocracy, fraud, incompetence, collusion, hate speech, failure, authoritarianism, dishonesty, exaggeration, totalitarianism, extremism, iconoclasm, wastefulness, self promotion, rudeness, treachery, furtiveness, bombast, falsehoods, illegalities, ill mannered, xenophobia, echo chamber, cult of personality, cupidity, mean spiritedness, vileness, violence, racism, immaturity, dictatorial, destructive, unselfish-aware, egotism
THAT is the deal! He is unfit for humanity let alone the presidency. Full stop.
14
Trumps' greatest skill is lying and exaggeration. It gets old. People catch on.
10
I see a deal with the Devil when i see how the GOP rank and file allow Trump to be elected, and how they have allowed so many horrible anti-American ideals to be smashed like sacred objects when the Barbarians take over.
7
Its about time "t" stopped bashing President Obama....he couldn't hold a candle to him. President Obama served our country with grace an dignity. This current fake resident is serving our country with lies, boasting and vulgarity. Not only is he a disgrace to the office he holds, but he is a huge embarrassment to our country. Pretty soon his supporters will wake up and realize everything he promised them will never happen. He has the lowest rating, 33% of any President to have held office and it will just continue to go lower and lower and soon with the investigation going full speed ahead, we can look forward to impeachment.
13
If Congress were smart, they'd ignore President Pinocchio and pass bipartisan legislation - taxes, infrastructure, health care, etc. - and just put it on Trump's desk and dare him to veto it.
Enough of this liar - ignore him - and let his generals keep him in check.
Enough of this liar - ignore him - and let his generals keep him in check.
11
The deal? The deal? Here is the deal:
Unconstitutionality, chaos, embarrassment, smallness, lies, kleptocracy, fraud, incompetence, collusion, hate speech, failure, authoritarianism, dishonesty, exaggeration, totalitarianism, extremism, iconoclasm, wastefulness, self promotion, rudeness, treachery, furtiveness, bombast, falsehoods, illegalities, ill mannered, xenophobia, echo chamber, cult of personality, cupidity, mean spiritedness, vileness, violence, racism, immaturity, dictatorial, destructive, unselfish-aware, egotism
THAT is the deal! He is unfit for humanity let alone the presidency. Full stop.
Unconstitutionality, chaos, embarrassment, smallness, lies, kleptocracy, fraud, incompetence, collusion, hate speech, failure, authoritarianism, dishonesty, exaggeration, totalitarianism, extremism, iconoclasm, wastefulness, self promotion, rudeness, treachery, furtiveness, bombast, falsehoods, illegalities, ill mannered, xenophobia, echo chamber, cult of personality, cupidity, mean spiritedness, vileness, violence, racism, immaturity, dictatorial, destructive, unselfish-aware, egotism
THAT is the deal! He is unfit for humanity let alone the presidency. Full stop.
7
As Trump implodes, maybe congress will rise up from the ashes and do the work of governing.
7
Thanks, Janice, An enduring Hiroshima ginkgo tree sends us the same message.
"The Hiroshima ginkgos, the tenacious older siblings of the tender green trees in front of our North Carolina house, were able to resist the most devastating outcome of science and technology, the splitting of the atom, a destructive power that could turn the whole planet into rubble. Those trees’ survival was a message of hope in the midst of the black rain of despair: that we could nurture life and conserve it, that we must be wary of the forces we unleash.
How paradoxical, how sad, how stupid, it would be if, more than seven decades after Hiroshima opened the door to the possible suicide of humanity, we did not understand that warning from the past, that call to the future, what the gentle leaves of the ginkgo trees are still trying to tell us."
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/04/opinion/the-whispering-leaves-of-the-...
"The Hiroshima ginkgos, the tenacious older siblings of the tender green trees in front of our North Carolina house, were able to resist the most devastating outcome of science and technology, the splitting of the atom, a destructive power that could turn the whole planet into rubble. Those trees’ survival was a message of hope in the midst of the black rain of despair: that we could nurture life and conserve it, that we must be wary of the forces we unleash.
How paradoxical, how sad, how stupid, it would be if, more than seven decades after Hiroshima opened the door to the possible suicide of humanity, we did not understand that warning from the past, that call to the future, what the gentle leaves of the ginkgo trees are still trying to tell us."
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/04/opinion/the-whispering-leaves-of-the-...
2
"You want details? Trust me, it will be great."
And that's all it took.
And that's all it took.
8
The quintessential "developer" who sold his supporters on being "so rich", then, like selling them Florida swampland and a view of the ocean in Arizona, they still cheer. He obviously lied about his healthcare bill, his wall being in design stage, and his son-in-law's capabilities in diplomacy and government restructuring; and still they cheer. It's pathetic.
14
I moved to New York in 1975. By 1975, I was tired of Trump.
16
Obviously Mr. Trump is not a competent adult and can't function outside the sheltered workshop of his family business.
10
The editorial states that Trump is incompetent. That is an understatement.
His incompetence is on full display for all to see, yet, many of his supporters and conservative pundits will tell us that he is strong, he is a great President (what has he done that is so "great") and that he is a winner, yes, he is a "winner".
Even with the defections of some of the GOP Congressional members our grand and glorious apprentice President will fail to see he has lost support of the Congress and will be accomplishing nothing more than holding more pep rallies to feed the ego and provide him with a stage where he can further boast and perpetuate his, well, not quite truthful statements.
His incompetence is on full display for all to see, yet, many of his supporters and conservative pundits will tell us that he is strong, he is a great President (what has he done that is so "great") and that he is a winner, yes, he is a "winner".
Even with the defections of some of the GOP Congressional members our grand and glorious apprentice President will fail to see he has lost support of the Congress and will be accomplishing nothing more than holding more pep rallies to feed the ego and provide him with a stage where he can further boast and perpetuate his, well, not quite truthful statements.
6
He is an extended nightmare, one we can't wake up from. His staff is so irritating, I can't watch the news anymore and I was a newshound,
Why did this happen? Bernie was cheated out of the DNC nomination by HRC (who was endorsed by this very paper). Simple as that.
Why did this happen? Bernie was cheated out of the DNC nomination by HRC (who was endorsed by this very paper). Simple as that.
5
Hillary won the Democratic Primary, not Bernie Sanders. He was not "cheated" out of anything.
The rest of the nation is who actually got cheated out of a good president by 3rd party voters, nonvoters, and resentful Bernie Bro's. Own it.
The rest of the nation is who actually got cheated out of a good president by 3rd party voters, nonvoters, and resentful Bernie Bro's. Own it.
When will we learn that those who brag about themselves constantly usually have none of the skills they profess, those who openly claim they are so honest verbally all the time usually have something to hide, or those who put others down with bullying comments are insecure? I've been through so many bosses over the years in the workplace just like this, and all have wound up either fired or in deep trouble. This man is no different, and it's getting wearing. Mueller can't work fast enough for us to get this man and his rabble out of office!
10
Nicely put. Trump is and always has been an incompetent bully, taking advantage by cheating others into submission...by threatening to sue them if they tried to defend themselves from his assault on their labor. His assault of the presidency was always on false pretenses, by lying big and often, to the point that his misinformed, and ignorant, and perhaps prejudiced folks thought his uttering nonsense was the gospel truth. Granted, also with some help (with suspected collusion) from Putin/Comey/Weiner. And the "art of the Deal" was written by a ghost writer; some doubt Trump even read the book, let alone it's practice...if honesty is considered. Trump, and the pluto-kleptocracy he installed in his 'swampy mafia', are a disgrace for U.S. standing at home and abroad. Is article 25 still available, if our instincts demand survival, let alone a functioning democracy?
4
The courts that coddle people like Trump are some of the most incompetent in the world. This nation ties itself in knots with frivolous litigation.
Thank you New York Times, and other MSM like the Washington Post for finally kicking into gear. All of the great reporting since Trump took office is finally showing the voters who he really is. (But we knew this when he refused to show his tax returns.)
My question is what took you all so long?
My question is what took you all so long?
4
Dump the Trump already, eh? This could be the most intelligent thing the GOP has accomplished since it voted for Nixon's impeachment. That said, I'll believe it when I see it.
Meanwhile, sentence Pence to oblivion in some rural bible-thumping congregation where the nation can bolt that door so tightly closed that your VP can shout self to eternal hoarseness.
Meanwhile, sentence Pence to oblivion in some rural bible-thumping congregation where the nation can bolt that door so tightly closed that your VP can shout self to eternal hoarseness.
8
We have found out why Trump was always calling others "losers", "crooked", "lying", "weak", etc.
He was speaking from experience and the best at all of them!
He was speaking from experience and the best at all of them!
The President of the United is now a proven liar a fraud. The blatant lies are well documented. His fraudulence was proven when a transcript emerged that he groveled to (not implored) Mexican President Pena Nieto to alter his position on paying for new Mexican border wall which was never going to happen anyway, despite Trump's incessant campaign promises. Every day Trump remains in office is an insult and betrayal of everything good and decent that America says it stands for.
2
What's the Deal. There is no deal. Words are cheap. To Trump they are worthless. His supporters may think he is making headway, but it's all make believe.
When an ill wind blows Trump's way, only then will his supporters see the naked truth, Trump really isn't wearing anything. Thus the myth will become fact. If he does get some things done it won't be for his voters, It will be for him, his family, and his rich mans club.
Trump voters, you may of liked what he said, but you have the wrong man for your goals. Like California many years ago, you will become a minority group. It didn't harm California which has many advantages today. It won't harm you. The world is changing and you should embrace the changes, but don't do it on the back of who has been described as a sociopath/psychopath to change things for you. He and his inside group of throwbacks (excluding the generals) will only make your life worse.
When an ill wind blows Trump's way, only then will his supporters see the naked truth, Trump really isn't wearing anything. Thus the myth will become fact. If he does get some things done it won't be for his voters, It will be for him, his family, and his rich mans club.
Trump voters, you may of liked what he said, but you have the wrong man for your goals. Like California many years ago, you will become a minority group. It didn't harm California which has many advantages today. It won't harm you. The world is changing and you should embrace the changes, but don't do it on the back of who has been described as a sociopath/psychopath to change things for you. He and his inside group of throwbacks (excluding the generals) will only make your life worse.
1
Trump never really wanted the job as President. He enter the race for President for publicity and was probably shocked to find he was really in the race at all. What a sad state for American democracy that he was elected, you could have picked someone out of the phone book who would have done a better job.
1
I disagree. He was flattered when he got a letter from Richard Nixon in 1987. The message: Pat Nixon, who had seen Trump on run Phil Donahue show, believed that if and when Trump ever entered politics, he would succeed.
For egomaniac Trump, that letter planted a seed,
For egomaniac Trump, that letter planted a seed,
The deal? The deal? Here is the deal:
Unconstitutionality, chaos, embarrassment, smallness, lies, kleptocracy, fraud, incompetence, collusion, hate speech, failure, authoritarianism, dishonesty, exaggeration, totalitarianism, extremism, iconoclasm, wastefulness, self promotion, rudeness, treachery, furtiveness, bombast, falsehoods, illegalities, ill mannered, xenophobia, echo chamber, cult of personality, cupidity, mean spiritedness, vileness, violence, racism, immaturity, dictatorial, destructive, selfishness, unawareness, egotism
THAT is the deal! He is unfit for humanity let alone the presidency. Full stop.
Unconstitutionality, chaos, embarrassment, smallness, lies, kleptocracy, fraud, incompetence, collusion, hate speech, failure, authoritarianism, dishonesty, exaggeration, totalitarianism, extremism, iconoclasm, wastefulness, self promotion, rudeness, treachery, furtiveness, bombast, falsehoods, illegalities, ill mannered, xenophobia, echo chamber, cult of personality, cupidity, mean spiritedness, vileness, violence, racism, immaturity, dictatorial, destructive, selfishness, unawareness, egotism
THAT is the deal! He is unfit for humanity let alone the presidency. Full stop.
1
I honestly can not see how Trump had the patience to proof read an entire book. He has the attention span of a 7 year old with A.D.D. His ghostwriter came clean a bit too late!
There is another message in this article other than Trump being a lying liar and totally inept executive. That is that moderates win. The extremism of the Tea Party and later Freedom Caucus are not what mainstream Americans want. The people want real solutions to the problems they and their families face every day - good healthcare, jobs so they can provide for their families, safe communities, and the education their children need for their own secure futures. Politicians forget that all politics is local. Everything else, even national security, is background noise.
But the common citizens continue to feel a deep sense of mistrust and betrayal for politicians who want to strip away the programs which support their local needs in order to pay for tax cuts for the rich. They view the wealthy as Thomas Nast depicted them a century ago - the fat cat Mr. Moneybags, who burned dollar bills to light his cigars. They view the outright corruption between politicians and the rich with disgust and contempt. Most of all, the citizens are neither blind nor stupid. They know what the game is about, and they are becoming more confident in their own power every day.
Trump is an existential problem for America, yes. But he is more the symptom than the disease. The real issue is the rampant greed which runs amok in the power circles of the rich. Control that and give favor to the common citizen, which is what the founders intended, and America will cure itself of its self-inflicted ills.
But the common citizens continue to feel a deep sense of mistrust and betrayal for politicians who want to strip away the programs which support their local needs in order to pay for tax cuts for the rich. They view the wealthy as Thomas Nast depicted them a century ago - the fat cat Mr. Moneybags, who burned dollar bills to light his cigars. They view the outright corruption between politicians and the rich with disgust and contempt. Most of all, the citizens are neither blind nor stupid. They know what the game is about, and they are becoming more confident in their own power every day.
Trump is an existential problem for America, yes. But he is more the symptom than the disease. The real issue is the rampant greed which runs amok in the power circles of the rich. Control that and give favor to the common citizen, which is what the founders intended, and America will cure itself of its self-inflicted ills.
258
"Most of all, the citizens are neither blind nor stupid. They know what the game is about, and they are becoming more confident." No. Wake up. Stupid, religious, fearful, greedy, what's-in-it-for-me America pulled the lever for Trump after watching him demonstrate the profound ignorance, arrogance, narcissism, poor judgment, and multiple other failures in his campaign. The problem is stupid America.
1
I agree with you in principal, but consider that Trump got the working classes to vote for his 1% agenda. Put another way, yes, class strife and the 99% versus the 1% is the number one problem with our society, but that's not what motivated Trump's white voters. They were motivated by racism, by fear of minorities, pure and simple.
1
In other words, overturn Citizens United! Until that is accomplished, the greed exemplified by a spineless and complicit Republican Congress will continue.
2
You might want to ask yourself this simple question: If Mr, Trump is such a consummate deal maker, why does he always end up in court, suing to try and get out of every one of his terrific deals?
3
Trump's "deal-making" skills consist entirely of three things: insulting people who won't do what he wants, threatening them, and throwing tantrums.
306
And threatening legal action.
Don't forget all the money he's made by stiffing no many of the people that have worked for him. Grifter at best.
Time and again I keep hearing, and reading, about the POTUS and his "base of supporters" being what matters. What's with this line of thinking? His base does not represent the majority of American's in this country. It's not even a close decision. They reflect a fringe minority of the overall citizenry, an overall citizenry who are standing around slack-jawed staring at the ridiculousness of the POTUS's actions and logic. They seemingly cannot believe what they are witnessing.
I say believe it. The man is who he is; an inept political charlatan of increasingly questionable intellect and capacity. It's time for the majority of citizenry to assert themselves and put that fringe base in their place. It's time to voice your angst firmly, and pointedly, at the leadership caste who purports to represent them. We have had enough of the foolishness. American's are becoming caricatures on the global stage and we won't stand for this. If that leadership caste has any political sense at all; if they want to continue with that sweet plum job of political office then they'd best listen and act on what they are being told.
John~
American Net'Zen
I say believe it. The man is who he is; an inept political charlatan of increasingly questionable intellect and capacity. It's time for the majority of citizenry to assert themselves and put that fringe base in their place. It's time to voice your angst firmly, and pointedly, at the leadership caste who purports to represent them. We have had enough of the foolishness. American's are becoming caricatures on the global stage and we won't stand for this. If that leadership caste has any political sense at all; if they want to continue with that sweet plum job of political office then they'd best listen and act on what they are being told.
John~
American Net'Zen
173
What you are missing is that while a small proportion of the general population, these fringe elements makeup a large fraction of the GOP. The Senators and Representatives are in a tough bind - offending these fringe elements will likely cost them their job. But, what do you expect when you make a deal with the devil?
His "base" may be cultish and ignorant, but they are organized, as evidenced by a pro-Trump sign waving demonstration I saw at an intersection yesterday. Even ignorance, if organized, can be more powerful than the truth. Frightening.
Amen, brother, amen. You're right, enough about his "base," they don't care about reality, facts, or truth, just raw hatred of anything "other." They are not most of America, just as most Russians are not Putin and his oligarchy supporters. Enough is enough. If they won't listen to reason, so what, let's move on.
Congress is also showing signs of understanding what motivates Mr. Trump.
Trump is consumed with himself. Whatever "IT" is must first be beneficial to Trump personally.
Health care policy is too abstract for Trump. 'IT' was a campaign slogan period.
As a slogan it was useful to HIM, IT got the roar of the crowd. Trump did not care one iota about health care policy for Americans and he still doesn't. IT has become another useful soundbite to criticize anyone but himself or to use as a tool of vengeance for another feel good moment for HIM.
Why is it that Congress has had to use legislation to block Trump? Because they now see that Trump does things only to benefit himself. Firing Sessions or Mueller only helps Trump, nothing else. Of course here is an instance where Congress just wants Trump to remain in the Oval Office so they can use him to get their legislation signed so they will not let him self-destruct quite yet.
Trump and his family now swan around DC and the east coast courtesy of the tax payer in SUV motorcades, private plane etc. while having first call wherever they go. Look how important we are. Preening like royalty and billing the US government whenever they can. Living a sign style life with press coverage to document the wonderfulness. Every day Jared and Ivanka leave for 'work' being photographed for posterity. This is their due, just look at what they have done for America!
Trump is was and always working for HIMSELF.
Trump is consumed with himself. Whatever "IT" is must first be beneficial to Trump personally.
Health care policy is too abstract for Trump. 'IT' was a campaign slogan period.
As a slogan it was useful to HIM, IT got the roar of the crowd. Trump did not care one iota about health care policy for Americans and he still doesn't. IT has become another useful soundbite to criticize anyone but himself or to use as a tool of vengeance for another feel good moment for HIM.
Why is it that Congress has had to use legislation to block Trump? Because they now see that Trump does things only to benefit himself. Firing Sessions or Mueller only helps Trump, nothing else. Of course here is an instance where Congress just wants Trump to remain in the Oval Office so they can use him to get their legislation signed so they will not let him self-destruct quite yet.
Trump and his family now swan around DC and the east coast courtesy of the tax payer in SUV motorcades, private plane etc. while having first call wherever they go. Look how important we are. Preening like royalty and billing the US government whenever they can. Living a sign style life with press coverage to document the wonderfulness. Every day Jared and Ivanka leave for 'work' being photographed for posterity. This is their due, just look at what they have done for America!
Trump is was and always working for HIMSELF.
173
The deal is what Mr. Trump made with the millions of American people during his campaign, which is elect me and I will do my best to do the following. Let us examine what has been accomplished in 2017 and what has yet to be been accomplished so far. Let us start with what has been accomplished irrespective of whether you want to give him due credit.
1) 1 million more Jobs were filled.
2) Stock market grew by 4 Trillion dollars and is at all time high.
3) Illegal border crossings are down by 60+%
4) ISIS in Syria and Iraq is toast.
5)No terrorist incident in the USA and fewer in Europe.
6) GDP has crossed 2.5% for the first time in the past 10 years.
7)Deregulation of draconian rules (as perceived by some businesses).
8) North Korea facing new sanctions and antimissile technology of the US tested and found to to be effective.
9) Sanctions against Russia increased for several reasons passed.
10)) Red line in Syria became a reality with 50+ missiles fired.
11) Tax payer funded dollars to the Syrian rebels paid by the Obama admin. to accomplish regime change have been terminated.
12) Extreme vetting underway.
What has yet to be accomplished but was part of the deal.
1) The great Trump wall on the Southern US border has yet to be built.
2) Repeal and replace Obamacare passed in Congress and could not be passed in senate due to a single vote that of the war monger McCain.
3) The tax reform and tax cuts have not been passed in congress.
4) Immigration reform has not yet been passed.
1) 1 million more Jobs were filled.
2) Stock market grew by 4 Trillion dollars and is at all time high.
3) Illegal border crossings are down by 60+%
4) ISIS in Syria and Iraq is toast.
5)No terrorist incident in the USA and fewer in Europe.
6) GDP has crossed 2.5% for the first time in the past 10 years.
7)Deregulation of draconian rules (as perceived by some businesses).
8) North Korea facing new sanctions and antimissile technology of the US tested and found to to be effective.
9) Sanctions against Russia increased for several reasons passed.
10)) Red line in Syria became a reality with 50+ missiles fired.
11) Tax payer funded dollars to the Syrian rebels paid by the Obama admin. to accomplish regime change have been terminated.
12) Extreme vetting underway.
What has yet to be accomplished but was part of the deal.
1) The great Trump wall on the Southern US border has yet to be built.
2) Repeal and replace Obamacare passed in Congress and could not be passed in senate due to a single vote that of the war monger McCain.
3) The tax reform and tax cuts have not been passed in congress.
4) Immigration reform has not yet been passed.
2
It must be me...but the term "accomplished" has always meant very specific things. 1. to be highly skilled. 2. to bring to conclusion, to achieve a determined goal. (#1. we've yet to see any such things applicable to POTUS. #2. he's not actually achieved, nor reached any conclusions, or determined goals.)
But apparently, a lot of commonly understood terms have been subverted in the blip-era of Trump. All the above, 1-12, were not accomplished by the Trump Admin. Yes, yes, every President gets to lay claim to causing the sun to rise everyday, but when analyzed, the truth is obvious.
Anyonewho pays attention to historical reality, knows very well that Presidents have little short effects - past the hype-hope post election to a few weeks post Inauguration - on the markets, etc. The employment trend already in the pipeline. Stock market, same. #5 is laughable, and absurd to even mention. #9, certainly not what POTUS desired. Red line in Syria? LOL! Come on! #8. Trump did not initiate the missile systems, nor did he "personally" send them there, they were already scheduled. And they have not been proven capable of hitting an enemy target...only a predetermined and known friendly target. Deregulations not in effect as of yet.
#1b. Ain't gonna be a full build. And it wont be great, nor very bigly.
#2b. R&R was not what didnt pass. It neither repealed, nor replaced.
#3b. No one wins a game based on a fans hope for a win. "Not yet", dont even work in horse shoes.
#4b. See #3b.
But apparently, a lot of commonly understood terms have been subverted in the blip-era of Trump. All the above, 1-12, were not accomplished by the Trump Admin. Yes, yes, every President gets to lay claim to causing the sun to rise everyday, but when analyzed, the truth is obvious.
Anyonewho pays attention to historical reality, knows very well that Presidents have little short effects - past the hype-hope post election to a few weeks post Inauguration - on the markets, etc. The employment trend already in the pipeline. Stock market, same. #5 is laughable, and absurd to even mention. #9, certainly not what POTUS desired. Red line in Syria? LOL! Come on! #8. Trump did not initiate the missile systems, nor did he "personally" send them there, they were already scheduled. And they have not been proven capable of hitting an enemy target...only a predetermined and known friendly target. Deregulations not in effect as of yet.
#1b. Ain't gonna be a full build. And it wont be great, nor very bigly.
#2b. R&R was not what didnt pass. It neither repealed, nor replaced.
#3b. No one wins a game based on a fans hope for a win. "Not yet", dont even work in horse shoes.
#4b. See #3b.
Well, it would be great if the Republicans and Democrats started working together and accomplishing something. But you know who will take credit for it? Donald is so narcissistic and dense that he will think this was all his idea.
Trump can't get into details about policy because he just doesn't know anything and is too too lazy to care to know anything. So he sits back and waits for others to do the work and come to him with something he can put his signature on. The problem of course is that a signature on legislation requires leadership and other than Trump's leadership on hate, fear-mongering and warring against our free press, Trumpian leadership that actually works for the American people isn't anywhere to be found.
For most of his adult life Trump has been itn the business of putting on the greatest show on earth. He's PT Barnum complete with a grand avenue side show that with his presidency has upstaged his three ring circus which is no longer even entertaining.
Trump's greatest failure has been his inability to work with others. but he goes on proclaiming " ... I’m going to do a very big — we’re doing very big trade deals ..." and really really "bigly" perhaps? Other then some vicious executive orders weaponized to take revenge on President Obama Trump has accomplished less than nothing. His failures evidence that he's far better at pitting people against each other rather than working with anyone for the betterment of the country.
If Mueller doesn't derail Trump's presidency America's boredom with Trump's antics will, for once Trump goes from America's bad joke to a yawn, Trump is finished.
For most of his adult life Trump has been itn the business of putting on the greatest show on earth. He's PT Barnum complete with a grand avenue side show that with his presidency has upstaged his three ring circus which is no longer even entertaining.
Trump's greatest failure has been his inability to work with others. but he goes on proclaiming " ... I’m going to do a very big — we’re doing very big trade deals ..." and really really "bigly" perhaps? Other then some vicious executive orders weaponized to take revenge on President Obama Trump has accomplished less than nothing. His failures evidence that he's far better at pitting people against each other rather than working with anyone for the betterment of the country.
If Mueller doesn't derail Trump's presidency America's boredom with Trump's antics will, for once Trump goes from America's bad joke to a yawn, Trump is finished.
Trump is a lying, corrupt snake oil salesman. He spent his whole life scamming people. How did voters think someone who went through six bankruptcies could be the self-proclaimed successful business genius he claimed? His history was in black and white for anyone literate! It will take years to undo the damage he has inflicted on this country. He has made America a laughingstock among our allies who no longer trust us. Shame on those who voted for this con-man and the Republican Party who will be linked in infamy to Trump and this dark period in America's history.
3
Spin! It was all spin. Trump was able to turn those bankruptcies into smart business dealings. And huge numbers of people bought it. Despite the harsh way the general public views personal bankruptcy, as some sort of personal moral failing, business bankruptcies are deemed proper and good business.
The Trump Myth is now burned-in with his zealot supporters. And erasing it will be neigh impossible, especially with facts. "Facts are for losers," don't ever forget that!
Good article in The New Yorker. "How Trump is Transforming Rural America." Read it and weep (as I did)...he's not to be counted out so soon.
The Trump Myth is now burned-in with his zealot supporters. And erasing it will be neigh impossible, especially with facts. "Facts are for losers," don't ever forget that!
Good article in The New Yorker. "How Trump is Transforming Rural America." Read it and weep (as I did)...he's not to be counted out so soon.
Mueller deserves to be fired, see here
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/04/us/politics/robert-mueller-michael-fl...
Obamacare is now well on path to self-destruct. Good.
Recess appointments are another sorry legacy of Obama, same president found guilty of executive-authority abuse on, get this, loosening immigration. Besides, Sessions is well on way to climbing back in Trump's good books with his actions in office, as the NYT themselves have reported. Furthermore, understands Trump frequently uses subordinates as punching bags when he's frustrated.
Especially when well-earned. Recusal was indeed a hasty and unnecessary act by Sessions, provoked by serial-baiter Franken to disclose harmless meetings. Sessions should've known better. At any rate, he's back, well on way to pleasing his boss the way the boss likes it: prosecuting serial leakers. Have lawyers on standby for that.
Infrastructure doesn't happen in a day or six months. New York, better than any state in the country, should know that. But infrastructure does happen if the right people get on it, which nowadays is defined as people who build bridges, and let trains chug along as best as they can. Yes, bridges. Lots within 50 miles to celebrate.
Bottom line: this president is on track to turning America around like no president since FDR. Congress and Senate need him for 2020. What's more, he couldn't give a hoot what the NYT EB think. Which puts him firmly in the majority. Bah.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/04/us/politics/robert-mueller-michael-fl...
Obamacare is now well on path to self-destruct. Good.
Recess appointments are another sorry legacy of Obama, same president found guilty of executive-authority abuse on, get this, loosening immigration. Besides, Sessions is well on way to climbing back in Trump's good books with his actions in office, as the NYT themselves have reported. Furthermore, understands Trump frequently uses subordinates as punching bags when he's frustrated.
Especially when well-earned. Recusal was indeed a hasty and unnecessary act by Sessions, provoked by serial-baiter Franken to disclose harmless meetings. Sessions should've known better. At any rate, he's back, well on way to pleasing his boss the way the boss likes it: prosecuting serial leakers. Have lawyers on standby for that.
Infrastructure doesn't happen in a day or six months. New York, better than any state in the country, should know that. But infrastructure does happen if the right people get on it, which nowadays is defined as people who build bridges, and let trains chug along as best as they can. Yes, bridges. Lots within 50 miles to celebrate.
Bottom line: this president is on track to turning America around like no president since FDR. Congress and Senate need him for 2020. What's more, he couldn't give a hoot what the NYT EB think. Which puts him firmly in the majority. Bah.
1
its been an education watching the NYT's editorials ( not to mention the almost none- stop op-ed articles published daily practically since election day.
and needless to say- it must've been painful for the Editorial board to contain their keyboards while observing & documenting the macabre show we've been treated to since the presidential campaign 2016.
but the MAIN focus of what there is to be said about that show is NOT TRUMP.
HE'S ONLY A SYMPTOM.
the main focus needs to be on WHY did enough voters found Trump to have been the right choice ?! HOW did it come about ( " only in America", remember ?). the truth is - the writing has been on our collective wall long enough to have known otherwise. definitely, immediatey after inauguration ( " did you see that extraordinary crowd, the biggest of all inaugurations "?!).
the human element that voted for, and still staunchly supports trump is what needs to be examined: socio- economic - cultural - educational study, trying to understand HOW it came to be that, in a country rich with brilliant talents in all fields ( not the least politics) - " the people " found trump to be the best choice.
the conclusion, ( at least mine ), is rather depressing, disappointing and disheartening. but as they say - there's hope because we simply wouldn't be doing much worse.
and needless to say- it must've been painful for the Editorial board to contain their keyboards while observing & documenting the macabre show we've been treated to since the presidential campaign 2016.
but the MAIN focus of what there is to be said about that show is NOT TRUMP.
HE'S ONLY A SYMPTOM.
the main focus needs to be on WHY did enough voters found Trump to have been the right choice ?! HOW did it come about ( " only in America", remember ?). the truth is - the writing has been on our collective wall long enough to have known otherwise. definitely, immediatey after inauguration ( " did you see that extraordinary crowd, the biggest of all inaugurations "?!).
the human element that voted for, and still staunchly supports trump is what needs to be examined: socio- economic - cultural - educational study, trying to understand HOW it came to be that, in a country rich with brilliant talents in all fields ( not the least politics) - " the people " found trump to be the best choice.
the conclusion, ( at least mine ), is rather depressing, disappointing and disheartening. but as they say - there's hope because we simply wouldn't be doing much worse.
2
What an incomprehensible blather. I am searching for something to latch onto here, but it's all over the place! Please try again and keep it focused, OK?
That said, it's hard to make a deal when you have leakers in your midst and the media (yes, the NYT included) is intent on undermining everything being done. Some people obviously like Trump no matter what and some are against him no matter what even if they are not against all of his policies. They don't like him. It's personal.
The same thing could have been said about Obama. Some swooned at every pronouncement and some were against everything he touched.
This is what it has become in the USA, and the media thinks that IT is the story!
That said, it's hard to make a deal when you have leakers in your midst and the media (yes, the NYT included) is intent on undermining everything being done. Some people obviously like Trump no matter what and some are against him no matter what even if they are not against all of his policies. They don't like him. It's personal.
The same thing could have been said about Obama. Some swooned at every pronouncement and some were against everything he touched.
This is what it has become in the USA, and the media thinks that IT is the story!
In the Midwest. I have heard many people say they voted for him for one single reason: the healthcare premiums and deductibles took too large and painful of a slice of the family budget.
I think the cost of healthcare access and insurance is a single issue/ top concern to many voters.
They frankly took a gamble on him, because no one else was emphasizing healthcare.
I think the cost of healthcare access and insurance is a single issue/ top concern to many voters.
They frankly took a gamble on him, because no one else was emphasizing healthcare.
Trump's ineptitude underscores how monumentally important it is that his presidency be made to fail as expeditiously and as spectacularly as possible. Anything short of this has the very real potential to enshrine crass demagoguery as acceptable political tradecraft.
This will pave the way for a demagogue who practices demagoguery but unlike trump is in no way crass. An oratorically gifted demagogue! A politically astute demagogue! A president for life. For those who think this could never happen, consider this: TRUMP HAPPENED!
This will pave the way for a demagogue who practices demagoguery but unlike trump is in no way crass. An oratorically gifted demagogue! A politically astute demagogue! A president for life. For those who think this could never happen, consider this: TRUMP HAPPENED!
4
Trump told us -- and demonstrated, clearly and repeatedly -- that he is a man without conviction, without a moral compass, without character -- and yet millions of low-information, no-information, and "I don't care" voters voted for him anyway -- a disastrous dumbing-down of the American electorate who think celebrity is the same as competence. So did millions of "values" voters and so-called evangelicals -- cynical, phony liars who preach morality but practice base venality and duplicity -- all despite clear proof that the man has no moral values beyond self-promotion. We all have a lot of work to do to save this Republic from the greed and constitutional apostasy of loudmouth charlatans like Trump.
10
Trump would have been a total nobody loser without his father's money. His best bet would have been to con a "sugar mama" into supporting him. But with his father's money and his meager intelligence, all focused on conning people, he got to where he could con the 1/3 of the voting electorate who are less intelligent than he is. He was in over his head as a minor business executive. No surprise he has absolutely nothing to offer as President. And now Mueller is about to expose Russia as his "sugar daddy." If not in prison, he could well end up on the street where he might otherwise have been his whole life.
5
Ahh yes, the Pre-Inaugural TrumpCare Plan "very much formulated down to the final strokes", "insurance for everybody". Cracked me up when he said it.
Listening to his base continue their support of his flip-flopping outbursts "It's the Democrats' fault." "I've always said let it implode." "Republicans have tried for 7 years and still can't get it done."
Trump's incompetence is only surpassed by his lack of knowledge about any Healthcare bill. Period. Now cheer him on, you blind supporters. You crack me up too.
Listening to his base continue their support of his flip-flopping outbursts "It's the Democrats' fault." "I've always said let it implode." "Republicans have tried for 7 years and still can't get it done."
Trump's incompetence is only surpassed by his lack of knowledge about any Healthcare bill. Period. Now cheer him on, you blind supporters. You crack me up too.
6
Trump sees the world as personal transactions between himself and some other entity, and not even himself as the representative of the U.S.. But he has nothing to offer. The entire conversation with the president of Mexico sounded like he was begging the other world leader (and strong U.S. ally) to rescue him from his own overpromise. In return, the Mexican leader would have had to lie or reverse himself on a ridiculous payment for a wall that he had no stake in.
In the healthcare "negotiations", there were no negotiations, just empty and contradictory promises. No deal between Trump and the Republicans, or between Trump and the Democrats. There was ridicule, scorn and attempted bullying, as in the case of the courageous senator from Alaska. It seems to have been Trump's attempt to bully? deal? with Sen. McCain that was the last straw. When McCain returned to the Senate chamber after that conversation, he gave the thumb's down to the whole bill with a stone-faced stare to McConnell. The Art of the Dead Deal at the end of the day.
He returned to his ghost campaign trail with the West Virginia rally, attacking the opponent as though this was last year. He ranted nostalgically about his greatest ever election victory that never happened. Hopefully it will be Mueller who will blow the Last Trump for Trumpism and the zombie apocalypse of Republicans who enable and abet him.
In the healthcare "negotiations", there were no negotiations, just empty and contradictory promises. No deal between Trump and the Republicans, or between Trump and the Democrats. There was ridicule, scorn and attempted bullying, as in the case of the courageous senator from Alaska. It seems to have been Trump's attempt to bully? deal? with Sen. McCain that was the last straw. When McCain returned to the Senate chamber after that conversation, he gave the thumb's down to the whole bill with a stone-faced stare to McConnell. The Art of the Dead Deal at the end of the day.
He returned to his ghost campaign trail with the West Virginia rally, attacking the opponent as though this was last year. He ranted nostalgically about his greatest ever election victory that never happened. Hopefully it will be Mueller who will blow the Last Trump for Trumpism and the zombie apocalypse of Republicans who enable and abet him.
6
The only deal the President has, or is able to make is to continue to throw '' red meat ''rhetoric to his base of 35% ( which is shrinking by the minute )
He is supposed to be the standard bearer of the republican party, but barely even speaks to them. Congress is in charge of any ''deals'' because they are in charge of the purse. Their only objective i( at this moment ) is a tax cut and nothing else.
They couldn't get it together to take away health care from 23+ million Americans to implement said tax cut ( mainly for millionaires and billionaires ) so now they are scrambling to figure out how they can put it on the country's credit card ( YOU the taxpayer's card )
The President is nothing more than a hindrance and a bystander, that can only hurl threats at the lawmakers AND his own cabinet, if they get in his way of his '' deal making ''
Sad...
He is supposed to be the standard bearer of the republican party, but barely even speaks to them. Congress is in charge of any ''deals'' because they are in charge of the purse. Their only objective i( at this moment ) is a tax cut and nothing else.
They couldn't get it together to take away health care from 23+ million Americans to implement said tax cut ( mainly for millionaires and billionaires ) so now they are scrambling to figure out how they can put it on the country's credit card ( YOU the taxpayer's card )
The President is nothing more than a hindrance and a bystander, that can only hurl threats at the lawmakers AND his own cabinet, if they get in his way of his '' deal making ''
Sad...
6
What Trump has really shown us over the past 6 months is that the only arrow he has in his quiver is bullying! When that doesn't work (like on so many occasions recently) he has nothing to fall back on but his whining tweets. If my kids behaved like this president I would be truly ashamed.
7
However good or bad the book "The Art of the Deal" may be, we must not forget it is NOT even written by him. He would have been better off, and more true to himself, by writing books like "The Art of The Lie". "The Art of Bullying", "The Art of Stiffing Your Sub", "The Art of Bankruptcy". and "The Art of Personally Profiting in Bankruptcy".
4
the President's popularity with his core supporters does not appear to have any relationship with his supposed deal making skills, or anything else he has done or tried to do.
they like his posing and posturing, which mirrors the way they think and suggests how they would like to act, if only they had the New York chutzpah. the whole thing is phony, an illusion, the dream of the deluded, without any substance at all.
believe me, I live in Hollywood, I recognize the syndrome only too well.
is this any way to run a country?
sad!
they like his posing and posturing, which mirrors the way they think and suggests how they would like to act, if only they had the New York chutzpah. the whole thing is phony, an illusion, the dream of the deluded, without any substance at all.
believe me, I live in Hollywood, I recognize the syndrome only too well.
is this any way to run a country?
sad!
4
Yet another classic example of someone being born on third base, and thinking they've hit a home run. Sad.
3
One positive aspect that might come from Trump's ineptness, is that it may force the log jam break, causing both parties to finally put America first, and start working together. Of coarse, the never humble, ever inarticulate Mr. Trump, will claim any constructive results are do to his " great deals"
3
The art of any deal starts with leadership. America has no leaders, no one to look up to, to inspire us. We seem to be grabbing at straws on a daily basis, like expecting General Kelly to save the White House and us. Republicans stand for what? Beats me. Democrats looking for a slogan? Just what this country needs, another slogan!
Houston, we really do have a problem. There is absolutely a total lack of leadership in America.
Houston, we really do have a problem. There is absolutely a total lack of leadership in America.
5
Bob, sadly you are right. Perhaps the "leaders" we need know they will be outspent by rudderless idiots chosen by the wealthiest among us to carry their water into Washington. When you look back at the 17 candidates in the GOP primaries, they were all idiots — IDIOTS!
Then, the DNC couldn't field more than three candidates for their primaries! ONLY THREE! One was an unknown, another was an aging populist, and then there was Hillary. Could she lead this nation? We will never know. But I had hoped she would NOT run because the nation had tired of dynastic leaders at the top. Bush43 shut down Jeb's campaign despite his war chest. Hillary had to carry the 35 years of right-wing hatred of her; she was under Bill's shadow of adultery.
Few presidential election cycles have produced a worse rolcall of candidates for either party, nor have we seen a worse outcome — EVER!
Then, the DNC couldn't field more than three candidates for their primaries! ONLY THREE! One was an unknown, another was an aging populist, and then there was Hillary. Could she lead this nation? We will never know. But I had hoped she would NOT run because the nation had tired of dynastic leaders at the top. Bush43 shut down Jeb's campaign despite his war chest. Hillary had to carry the 35 years of right-wing hatred of her; she was under Bill's shadow of adultery.
Few presidential election cycles have produced a worse rolcall of candidates for either party, nor have we seen a worse outcome — EVER!
The business model has failed in public education. And now it has failed in the highest level of government. The blend of arrogance and ignorance once they leave the business world has been a recipe for disaster. Trump simply epitomizes this toxic type of hubris.
3
Wow, wow, NYT. That is one scalding and well-deserved editorial. Kudos for taking off the gloves.
5
The more I hear casual political conversations the more worried I become..... Many.... TOO MANY.... American voters have no idea what they're doing....
5
The Grifter is to politics what Joe Colombo was to organized crime.
The same modus operendi: Colombo criticized the FBI for fake allegations and now the Liar in Chief blames news and prosecutors for fake news. The same. But we know how it ended.
The same modus operendi: Colombo criticized the FBI for fake allegations and now the Liar in Chief blames news and prosecutors for fake news. The same. But we know how it ended.
3
Up here on Mars you can get a good 'overview' of things - a different perspective.
As another commenter so aptly put it, "The only dealing Trump is good at is self-dealing." The most corrupt administration in modern American history.
"How dd Donald Trump make a small fortune in business? He started with a large fortune."
Think that's wrong? Let's see the tax returns and the audited financials and then decide. Think there's no money laundering for Putin and his buddies? Let's see the tax returns and the audited financials and then decide.
History will show he's just another Country Club Republican, albeit tasteless, with a gift for winning the confidence of a certain type of uneducated person, inexperienced in the ways of the big city. Confidence is the 'con' in 'con-man'.
If the good Lord will bestow one more gift on America, the political sharks will move in soon, and devour Trump and his entire crew - grandchildren and all. Back to live in Queens or to jail, either way never to trouble our nation again.
As another commenter so aptly put it, "The only dealing Trump is good at is self-dealing." The most corrupt administration in modern American history.
"How dd Donald Trump make a small fortune in business? He started with a large fortune."
Think that's wrong? Let's see the tax returns and the audited financials and then decide. Think there's no money laundering for Putin and his buddies? Let's see the tax returns and the audited financials and then decide.
History will show he's just another Country Club Republican, albeit tasteless, with a gift for winning the confidence of a certain type of uneducated person, inexperienced in the ways of the big city. Confidence is the 'con' in 'con-man'.
If the good Lord will bestow one more gift on America, the political sharks will move in soon, and devour Trump and his entire crew - grandchildren and all. Back to live in Queens or to jail, either way never to trouble our nation again.
4
Sad!
1
Why is the NYT still discussing anything Trump has said as credible?
3
Now somehow Congress has to prevent him from pushing the nuclear button. Make a law saying it takes at least two people to push the button.
3
I think that the problem for Mr. Trump is that he is accustomed to "making deals" (a) with avaricious business-people who have no interest in politics and who are actually impressed by his histrionic, cartoonish bluster, and (b) designed to enrich himself, with no regard for principle or political impact.
Here in Washington, he is a fish out of water, way, way out of his league. He is being outsmarted at every turn for the simple reason that he is so completely and utterly transparent, very easy to psychoanalyze, and not nearly as smart as those of us who have been immersed in the ways of government for several decades. He is a neophyte, and he is reliving his salad days.
Here in Washington, he is a fish out of water, way, way out of his league. He is being outsmarted at every turn for the simple reason that he is so completely and utterly transparent, very easy to psychoanalyze, and not nearly as smart as those of us who have been immersed in the ways of government for several decades. He is a neophyte, and he is reliving his salad days.
2
Dear President Trump, Congratulations for becoming the POTUS ! You're a great man, a great leader, a great global business builder and one of the most charismatic and honest people Ive ever seen.
The constraints placed on you by the "office" are overly constricting and do not allow you to fully MAGA. It seems to be a poor fit, no one wins, no one loses, just a poor fit. Allow the American people, the people that love and believe in you, to be your shepard, your guide into a journey where the light that emulates from your presence be captured and delivered from a position of utter freedom. You are in control, the American People need your guidance, allows us, not Congress, not the DOJ, to be the shepards at your feet as the waters separate and you cross into that space of freedom - into the privacy and unbridled world of Trump Tower - your golden home of peace and serenity - into the light. Allow it to happen and you will flourish knowing you can answer to a higher authority and will only then be in a position to MAGA.
Time is of the essence, move with steadfast speed and agility as the light that shines may dim.
Your servants - the American People.
The constraints placed on you by the "office" are overly constricting and do not allow you to fully MAGA. It seems to be a poor fit, no one wins, no one loses, just a poor fit. Allow the American people, the people that love and believe in you, to be your shepard, your guide into a journey where the light that emulates from your presence be captured and delivered from a position of utter freedom. You are in control, the American People need your guidance, allows us, not Congress, not the DOJ, to be the shepards at your feet as the waters separate and you cross into that space of freedom - into the privacy and unbridled world of Trump Tower - your golden home of peace and serenity - into the light. Allow it to happen and you will flourish knowing you can answer to a higher authority and will only then be in a position to MAGA.
Time is of the essence, move with steadfast speed and agility as the light that shines may dim.
Your servants - the American People.
Trump's supreme preisthood in the "No such thing as bad publicity" church may soon be revoked. Ideally, he will embrace his impotence, remaining president, but as a monk of silence.
1
Of course politics is "The Art of the Deal", it's Trump who these days is trying to tell us that it's actually the "art of the possible", as this editorial writes, because once people can come to see it that way, Trump can continue to do nothing and then constantly blame Congress for it.
Politics is first of all a deal between elected officials and the American people. We give them a nice salary, nice HC and a LOT of power, and they in turn work hard on writing into law what they promised they would do. When they don't achieve anything, we fire them and vote for someone else.
Secondly, a president's function isn't limited to talking about his promises and using his pen to sign bills into law. It's his job to constantly engage in real, tough negotiations with Congress, in order to obtain "great deals for the American people".
People knew that many things that Trump has promised (universal healthcare, a trillion dollar infrastructure bill, ...) are things the GOP disagrees with. They voted for him anyway, precisely BECAUSE he promised to work hard and make deals with the GOP.
In real life, he's doing NOTHING, he's not even trying to enter real (let alone tough) negotiations with Congress. Kellyanne Conway summed it up best this week in an interview with Chris Cuomo: they expect Congress to deliver a HC bill "on a silver plate". That, however, is the very opposite of the deal he made with the American people ... !
Politics is first of all a deal between elected officials and the American people. We give them a nice salary, nice HC and a LOT of power, and they in turn work hard on writing into law what they promised they would do. When they don't achieve anything, we fire them and vote for someone else.
Secondly, a president's function isn't limited to talking about his promises and using his pen to sign bills into law. It's his job to constantly engage in real, tough negotiations with Congress, in order to obtain "great deals for the American people".
People knew that many things that Trump has promised (universal healthcare, a trillion dollar infrastructure bill, ...) are things the GOP disagrees with. They voted for him anyway, precisely BECAUSE he promised to work hard and make deals with the GOP.
In real life, he's doing NOTHING, he's not even trying to enter real (let alone tough) negotiations with Congress. Kellyanne Conway summed it up best this week in an interview with Chris Cuomo: they expect Congress to deliver a HC bill "on a silver plate". That, however, is the very opposite of the deal he made with the American people ... !
1
A generation who were beneficiaries of the post-WW2 boom (the "great" America), started feeling stiffed as far back as 1990, when savings were repeatedly "sucker-punched", and hoped an outsider MIGHT be able to take us back to the future.
It would be easy to interpret his rough comments as coming from a "straight-talk" reformer, a fox who sees what's going on in the henhouse (i.e., back when Jos. Kennedy Sr. was in charge of reforming the SEC). But, he's incapable.
It would be easy to interpret his rough comments as coming from a "straight-talk" reformer, a fox who sees what's going on in the henhouse (i.e., back when Jos. Kennedy Sr. was in charge of reforming the SEC). But, he's incapable.
1
We're simply, Trump is a con man. He may go down in history as one of the best, certainly better than Bernie Madoff.
He has made his money conning people and now has conned enough people to be the president. It is clear he has none of the many abilities he claims, but no one can deny he can con!
He has made his money conning people and now has conned enough people to be the president. It is clear he has none of the many abilities he claims, but no one can deny he can con!
1
my feeling is that Trump believes in nothing, he will go the way the wind goes or perhaps the way he blows his own wind. What horrified me the most is that he cannot write or speak correctly, his inability to see beyond his own needs is really horrible and embarrassing, to think he is the leader of my country and operates at a third grade level or less.
1
Trump is a known quantity now...He can be summed up as incompetent, incurious, inept, insecure and immature, indifferent, and inadequate. But why should those things stop him?
2
Come on. What do you really think? Don't pull any punches. Give it to us straight. We can take it!
You like him, right?
You like him, right?
Trump is now fully exposed as the fraud that he has been all along. His deal making skills are non-existent. He couldn't successfully negotiate to get a deli owner to put mustard on a ham sandwich.
2
If Congress can pass legislation protecting Mueller, why would it be a bad idea to get rid of Jeff Sessions? He's a kind of odd duck for Democrats to protect.
1
Trump is "dealing" with the reality of politics and we all benefit from the unintended bipartisanship of his misbehavior and his inability to make deals.
I guess we can thank him for something after all.
I guess we can thank him for something after all.
The good news is that our institutions, battered, dented, scared, are still holding up. Having not been tested at this level of stress since the seventies that is good news. But there is more to come.
While the nascent shoots of bi-partisanship on healthcare, Mueller, and the sanctions are welcome there is still the tax reform storm ahead. The know nothing Grand Old Pirates can't even agree one a one page statement of principles let alone a detailed bill telling the rest of us what they are after. And again they will do so behind closed doors and wait to spring it on us at the last minute in an attempt to use the reconciliation process to avoid hearingss, witnesses, and a filibuster.
And there is still the budget and it's appropriations bills plus the credit limit increase to go. And God help us all if the Congress has to move quickly on a genuine crisis. And a infrastructure plan or a immigration bill? Forgetaboutit!
What the party of 'No' has proven is that the Grand Old Pirates can not govern. Only carp, whine, and complain. Soon enough the public will be asked what we think. I hope we give the 'righties' the Old Heave Ho and put the adults back in charge.
While the nascent shoots of bi-partisanship on healthcare, Mueller, and the sanctions are welcome there is still the tax reform storm ahead. The know nothing Grand Old Pirates can't even agree one a one page statement of principles let alone a detailed bill telling the rest of us what they are after. And again they will do so behind closed doors and wait to spring it on us at the last minute in an attempt to use the reconciliation process to avoid hearingss, witnesses, and a filibuster.
And there is still the budget and it's appropriations bills plus the credit limit increase to go. And God help us all if the Congress has to move quickly on a genuine crisis. And a infrastructure plan or a immigration bill? Forgetaboutit!
What the party of 'No' has proven is that the Grand Old Pirates can not govern. Only carp, whine, and complain. Soon enough the public will be asked what we think. I hope we give the 'righties' the Old Heave Ho and put the adults back in charge.
3
So the republicans are throwing Trump under the bus? Poor bus..........
2
The rest of the country, including the Trump voters, are beginning understand to what we in NYC learned over 30 years ago.
The man is a pathological liar whose self image depends on always appearing be not just successful (which he was decided not), but the ultimate winner.
There was a reason why the bankers in New York stopped all financing to his corporation, why no real estate company in the city would work with him, and why his siblings wrested control of their father's real estate empire from him...he simply is unable to successfully run anything. He lacks the intellect as well as the knowledge to do the job.
If it hadn't been for a scripted "reality" show (The Apprentice ), the rest of the country would have been spared the pain of learning what we tried to tell them.
The man is a pathological liar whose self image depends on always appearing be not just successful (which he was decided not), but the ultimate winner.
There was a reason why the bankers in New York stopped all financing to his corporation, why no real estate company in the city would work with him, and why his siblings wrested control of their father's real estate empire from him...he simply is unable to successfully run anything. He lacks the intellect as well as the knowledge to do the job.
If it hadn't been for a scripted "reality" show (The Apprentice ), the rest of the country would have been spared the pain of learning what we tried to tell them.
6
How sweet it is!
Now, when will America - meaning all the people - start acknowledging that since the time of FDR we've created an imperial state lead by an ever expanding imperial presidency that rules not by laws created by Congress but by executive fiat. If so, perhaps we the people will start putting a halt to the President's overreach, the Judiciary's insatiable oversight on everything and Congress's own trammeling of the Constitution.
It is time for America to turn its back on the overweening power of the Federal government and return to the Constitution's intended purpose of having power lie with the people first, the States second and the Federal government last.
Now, when will America - meaning all the people - start acknowledging that since the time of FDR we've created an imperial state lead by an ever expanding imperial presidency that rules not by laws created by Congress but by executive fiat. If so, perhaps we the people will start putting a halt to the President's overreach, the Judiciary's insatiable oversight on everything and Congress's own trammeling of the Constitution.
It is time for America to turn its back on the overweening power of the Federal government and return to the Constitution's intended purpose of having power lie with the people first, the States second and the Federal government last.
1
Not so sweet, AP.
And the American people do have the power. They use it to elect the same corrupt Republican nutcases election after election, and they used it to successfully defy logic and the political machines to get exactly what they wanted: Trump.
There would be no 'imperial Presidency' if the people had decided its not what they want. But they didn't. They traded in the welfare of the nation for the short-sighted pleasure of party victory.
Keep in mind that the Federal government took or was handed increasing power by states that failed in their duty to be reasonable, honest and fair, to care for the welfare of their citizens. States make the Federal government look like a paragon of probity and good governance.
Where, exactly, do you see the people exercising power if not by way of the ballot?
And the American people do have the power. They use it to elect the same corrupt Republican nutcases election after election, and they used it to successfully defy logic and the political machines to get exactly what they wanted: Trump.
There would be no 'imperial Presidency' if the people had decided its not what they want. But they didn't. They traded in the welfare of the nation for the short-sighted pleasure of party victory.
Keep in mind that the Federal government took or was handed increasing power by states that failed in their duty to be reasonable, honest and fair, to care for the welfare of their citizens. States make the Federal government look like a paragon of probity and good governance.
Where, exactly, do you see the people exercising power if not by way of the ballot?
I still cannot understand how so many people fooled themselves. The psychology of this fake was so obvious, boasting, loud mouthing, no substance only insults. The guy is a total insult.
Now get rid of him, Mr. Mueller.
Now get rid of him, Mr. Mueller.
5
Every time Trump has "made a deal" overseas, he's gotten rolled, and pretty transparently so. Whoever leaked the transcripts of his phone calls to Nieto and Turnbull did the country a tremendous service, because now we see that all Trump wants out of his "deal" is a favorable appearance. Reality doesn't matter.
Trump is a loser. He's probably always been a loser. When he gets kicked out of the White House in 2020, the only question is whether he'll lose in the primaries or the general.
Trump is a loser. He's probably always been a loser. When he gets kicked out of the White House in 2020, the only question is whether he'll lose in the primaries or the general.
3
All don't seem to realize that in the private sector, if the deal maker can't come to terms or bully his target into submission, he simply walks away and finds another weaker target until he can finally claim victory over someone. Alas, the Art of the Deal. Trump's past is loaded with deals, some good and some bad. When the bad ones went belly up, he walked away and left others holding the bag.
In national and international politics, you can't just walk away and find another sucker. You have to deal with the same Congress every day with every deal. They just refuse to go away. And they have a good memory.
The Trump "walk away" theory is evident in his inability to perform on his promised health care new deal. Now that he has realized that it is complicated and he could not understand the problem, it is the Congress' failure, not his that they couldn't repeal & replace. Pure Trump.
Little by little the Republican Congress is realizing where the Art of the Deal is. And it's not at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, it's just across the aisle.
In national and international politics, you can't just walk away and find another sucker. You have to deal with the same Congress every day with every deal. They just refuse to go away. And they have a good memory.
The Trump "walk away" theory is evident in his inability to perform on his promised health care new deal. Now that he has realized that it is complicated and he could not understand the problem, it is the Congress' failure, not his that they couldn't repeal & replace. Pure Trump.
Little by little the Republican Congress is realizing where the Art of the Deal is. And it's not at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, it's just across the aisle.
3
There is a reason that I refer to the so-called president as Don the Con. He has been conning people (banks included) for years. The only "deals" he has made are the bankruptcies that he went through.
1
The deal?
Always good for Trump and bad for America.
Beware America the bully and con man with a slick sales pitch,
a terrible attitude and bad orange hair.
This cannot end well.
Always good for Trump and bad for America.
Beware America the bully and con man with a slick sales pitch,
a terrible attitude and bad orange hair.
This cannot end well.
1
Yes indeed, Trump claims Americans "will get tired of winning", whereas he himself never gets tired of whining:
It's Obama's fault (deep into the next century)
The Democrats refuse to cooperate
Members of his own party are turncoats
The intelligence community is after him
The judges are stupid
etc.,.
I have never, ever witnessed a braggart transform into a cry-baby so quickly.
It's Obama's fault (deep into the next century)
The Democrats refuse to cooperate
Members of his own party are turncoats
The intelligence community is after him
The judges are stupid
etc.,.
I have never, ever witnessed a braggart transform into a cry-baby so quickly.
1
Might I perceive porcine aviators? Zero-Celsius days in Hades? Perhaps even Republicans and Democrats putting average Americans' needs ahead of their personal political aspirations, grudges, and well-practiced proclivity towards internecine warfare?
Maybe, perhaps, possibly, but ... well ... uh ... I'll believe it when I see it. It has been a long time since either party put America's needs ahead of its own self-preservation – but Trump's total and utter incompetence may force them into an acceptance of reality.
Why don't you give cooperation a try, congressfolks? As Trump once said in a much more dishonest context, "What have you got to lose?"
Maybe, perhaps, possibly, but ... well ... uh ... I'll believe it when I see it. It has been a long time since either party put America's needs ahead of its own self-preservation – but Trump's total and utter incompetence may force them into an acceptance of reality.
Why don't you give cooperation a try, congressfolks? As Trump once said in a much more dishonest context, "What have you got to lose?"
1
Deal sch-meal! The Art of the schlemiel!
Trump embodies the art of being born on third base. Beyond the hype, the complicity of those who should know better, and those who are too ignorant to know the difference, Trump is painting himself into a corner. His pathetic sniveling, whimpering, and weak cajoling of Mexican and Australian leaders is the real Trump skill se ('Georgie Porgie' comes to mind). Unless you have one have tied behind your back, he has no deal making prowess (Just ask the New Jersey contractors he's stiffed). He expects everyone to cooperate with him and is shocked and outraged when we do not (Please keep those leaks coming Russia. It is your great patriotic duty to the American people!).
Trump confuses commerce with statesmanship. He is terrible at both. Ironically, Trump may accomplish something no Republican president has done since Eisenhower (or maybe even Lincoln); bring the country together. The Congressional ranks are closing to box in the executive branch and stave off dictatorship. If not, he could emulate his all time idol, Mussolini (We all know how that ended.). Trump is apparently not smart enough to imitate Machiavelli.
Trump is a very disturbed and confused man who, constitutionally, cannot cooperate with others. He in incapable of being truthful. I pity those who have to interact with him on a daily basis. I hope he keeps making mistakes until the trap door opens underneath him and he's gone.
Trump embodies the art of being born on third base. Beyond the hype, the complicity of those who should know better, and those who are too ignorant to know the difference, Trump is painting himself into a corner. His pathetic sniveling, whimpering, and weak cajoling of Mexican and Australian leaders is the real Trump skill se ('Georgie Porgie' comes to mind). Unless you have one have tied behind your back, he has no deal making prowess (Just ask the New Jersey contractors he's stiffed). He expects everyone to cooperate with him and is shocked and outraged when we do not (Please keep those leaks coming Russia. It is your great patriotic duty to the American people!).
Trump confuses commerce with statesmanship. He is terrible at both. Ironically, Trump may accomplish something no Republican president has done since Eisenhower (or maybe even Lincoln); bring the country together. The Congressional ranks are closing to box in the executive branch and stave off dictatorship. If not, he could emulate his all time idol, Mussolini (We all know how that ended.). Trump is apparently not smart enough to imitate Machiavelli.
Trump is a very disturbed and confused man who, constitutionally, cannot cooperate with others. He in incapable of being truthful. I pity those who have to interact with him on a daily basis. I hope he keeps making mistakes until the trap door opens underneath him and he's gone.
2
When for the last thirty or so years everyone complained about the revolving door in Washington enriching people after leaving office. Nothing was done to fix it. Then we learned about the insider trading done by congressmen and woman on stocks they are writing regulating on , nothing done about that either.
We incentivised crooks and con men and woman to do anything they can to get to the Holy Land of payouts Washington DC.
We incentivised crooks and con men and woman to do anything they can to get to the Holy Land of payouts Washington DC.
60 million voters STILL support this man. He's sold them a bill of goods, and now (if ever) he can't deliver. They actually know that but don't seem to care. They want revenge, not social justice or even jobs. They want revenge. As long as they feel he can stick it to liberals, intellectual snobs, and people of color they'll ride the train to the end of the road. It's really sad and I'm not saying that with irony, or sarcasm. They're are lots of angry, victimhood-laden souls out there and I get that, but Donald J. Trump to the rescue---REALLY!!!
The deal is Benedict Arnold is a Russian traitor and the most dishonest president in history.
Why did so many people think this guy who's had so many bankruptcies and business failures is a good deal maker? Because of his TV show? Because of his inherited wealth? Because of a book that someone else wrote on his behalf?
Trump is testimony of the gullibility and lack of sophistication of around a third of the voting public.
What will future generations think of all this -- as Trump is fond of hyperbole and superlatives -- perhaps the biggest scam in history?
Trump is testimony of the gullibility and lack of sophistication of around a third of the voting public.
What will future generations think of all this -- as Trump is fond of hyperbole and superlatives -- perhaps the biggest scam in history?
1
This may come across as unkind, but people who are willfully ignorant are easy to scam. Stupidity elected this president. And hatred driven by ignorance. People in America need not be ignorant. It's not as if we inhabit an intellectual wasteland. We have fabulous media dedicated to honest truth-telling (not right-wing propaganda outlets) publishing good material every day, in print and on the air. All free for the interested. But Americans opt for garbage, from reality shows to open sewage spewed by conspiracy theorists and hate mongers. It's a poverty of imagination and s pollution of the mind that is unprecedented.
Fran Lebowitz summed it up in her snarky comments to Vanity Fair last year. I would read "poor" in this context as meaning those who are too lazy to educate themselves, too willfully ignorant to be informed. Who are impressed by faux-gold and glitz. They say gambling is s tax on stupidity. If anyone knew that, Trump did, and does, from his gambling scams to the scam to take the White House.
"He’s a poor person’s idea of a rich person. They see him. They think, ‘If I were rich, I’d have a fabulous tie like that. Why are my ties not made of 400 acres of polyester?’ All that stuff he shows you in his house—the gold faucets—if you won the lottery, that’s what you’d buy.”
Fran Lebowitz summed it up in her snarky comments to Vanity Fair last year. I would read "poor" in this context as meaning those who are too lazy to educate themselves, too willfully ignorant to be informed. Who are impressed by faux-gold and glitz. They say gambling is s tax on stupidity. If anyone knew that, Trump did, and does, from his gambling scams to the scam to take the White House.
"He’s a poor person’s idea of a rich person. They see him. They think, ‘If I were rich, I’d have a fabulous tie like that. Why are my ties not made of 400 acres of polyester?’ All that stuff he shows you in his house—the gold faucets—if you won the lottery, that’s what you’d buy.”
1
Trump cannot be defanged one tooth at a time - he's in too powerful a position to hold still for that. Why not call this crisis for the crisis it is? The executive branch has been taken hostage by a truly sneaky character and his truly sneaky friends. Therefore what's needed is a hostage negotiator who can free the White House from the clutches of Trump and Co while simultaneously laying the facts out for his base so compellingly that they'll finally be disabused of their Murdoch and Koch implanted fever dream illusions. Tall order. But then and only then will the US go back to being the indispensable nation leading the world by example that past presidents up to and including Barack Obama proved it could and really ought to be.
Trump isn't that hard to figure out: Bullies are always, at heart, cowards.
1
" ... seemingly oblivious ... ", " ... lack of understanding ... ", " ... caved on his promise ...", " ... questionable deals ... ", " ... multiple bankruptcies ... ", " ... incompetence and futile bullying ... ". This will not look good on his performance review. I am reminded of ex-major league baseball player turned comedian Bob Uecker. He wore a baseball cap reading "0 For June & July". Mr. Trump may consider replacing the MAGA caps with caps reading "0 For 2017".
Actually I spoke with someone who was at that meeting with the Big Pharma CEOs, and apparently Trump spent the whole time talking about himself. There was not one word about the pharmaceutical industry. It's all just a show to him.
Trump has arrived at a place far beyond his ability to fake his way through life. He's like a phony magician, begging the audience volunteers to play along with his tricks.
Trump has arrived at a place far beyond his ability to fake his way through life. He's like a phony magician, begging the audience volunteers to play along with his tricks.
1
Everyone with the brains God gave a chicken knows Trump is a complete incompetent and probably a criminal. A bubble is being formed around him to minimize damage while everyone figures out how to remove him without sending the Red Hats out into the streets to take potshots at Volvos with their squirrel rifles. Can someone explain to them that we tried stupid, but it just didn't work.
Trump is not a deal maker--he is a con. Like many white-collar people, he skates on the assumption that he acts as a businessman because he is dressed as one.
However, it is only to the good if the GOP is forced to craft legislation with the Dems. (Given the health bills the GOP Congress wrote....twice....that would have been literally lethal to thousands of Americans, the GOP needs all the help it can get to simply be humane.)
However, it is only to the good if the GOP is forced to craft legislation with the Dems. (Given the health bills the GOP Congress wrote....twice....that would have been literally lethal to thousands of Americans, the GOP needs all the help it can get to simply be humane.)
This has been "A long, and winding road that leads to your door" or Trump getting out the door. The country is exhausted from his endless lies, schemes, deals and drama. Congress is finally doing what McCain suggested and working together for the good of the country, forgetting about those " loudmouthed" pests, even though they be the president and his advisors. WE are so over it! There will be rejoicing in the streets when he is gone.
1
This incompetence was well known before he was elected. # million vote less then Hillary!His business history was a disaster of bad choices. His personal life a shambles. His campaign unscrupulous. So, don't be surprised that he is a failure as a President. Duh folks.
"And then I'm going to do a very big - we're doing very big trade deals.....But we want to do, ideally, this first."
In all bilateral meetings with any foreign leaders fluent in English, Trump should have an interpreter on his side who is able to translate Trumpian speak into a halfway coherent English version.
In all bilateral meetings with any foreign leaders fluent in English, Trump should have an interpreter on his side who is able to translate Trumpian speak into a halfway coherent English version.
1
Mr. Trump is such a blowhard that after reading this I can hear him proclaim that he figured out a way to get the Republicans and Democrats to work together. By his own incompetence as an executive, the two parties are starting to see the need to compromise in order to get things done. When things get tough he can always fuel up Air Force 1 and fly over to West Virginia and give another bizarre campaign speech.
1
Who'da thunk it? Sometimes it takes a common enemy to get warring groups to work together.
The President is having a very successful public tour at present. The frequency of the events and their attendance is solid rock-star territory. It's not like he's the NFL. I fear our leader misunderestimates the size of the world.
I notice some signs of Republicans in Congress taking steps to protect themselves. . McConnell had during every recess while Obama was President left two Senators behind to act as if the Senate was in session, to prevent recess appointments. He had said that this was not necessary under Trump, who is the leader of his party (and white - McConnell has never treated a white man like he treated Barrack Obama). The worm has turned. Senator Murkowski will gavel the Senate into "session" throughout the August recess.
2
Trump and the Republicans are up the creek without a paddle. The Democrats should not compromise their progressive agenda to bail the Republicans out. Let the 'job creators' fail and don't bail them out. They are morally bankrupt, let us see them financially bankrupt as well. Then they will be electorally bankrupt.
Trump is as fake as those smiles he pastes on his face. He is a disaster. And he appears to have no comprehension of how useless he is - which is why almost every headline about him starts with "Trump blasts X" or "Trump attacks Y." He must go. That would be the best deal for America. We are tired of his lies, his bragging and his uselessness.
Now as a President, LBJ was a shrewd deal maker, because he knew how Washington worked. Trump obviously doesn't have a clue. Being in charge of a family run operation where people jump when you snap your fingers does not prepare you for the complexities of the U.S government and all the various power centers you face. Now these power centers insulted and tongue lashed almost daily by Trump are rising up and about to close the deal on him.
1
Lie, cheat, steal, swindle, deception, that about sums it up!
A few points: it is entirely fair to say that President Trump's real estate negotiation skills have not translated to the political arena. However, how much of that is driven by the scorched earth democrats in the Senate? His negotiating skills have been reduced to dealing with 3-7 Senate GOPers.
The secondary issue is that he is not ideological - after all he was considered a democrat only a few years ago. He'll sign anything that a bipartisan Congress can pass, much to the chagrin of conservative Republicans.
The secondary issue is that he is not ideological - after all he was considered a democrat only a few years ago. He'll sign anything that a bipartisan Congress can pass, much to the chagrin of conservative Republicans.
1
So he can't even deal with 3 to 7 GOP senators? And before we blame the Democrats let's not forget who's the majority party. And he wasn't considered a Democrat - he self identified as one.
The best one I've read about to date is a lease agreement the General Services Administration (GSA)was negotiating for the Secret Service with the Trump Organization.
We have the Trump Govt. Administration negotiating with the Trump private business organization for a simple lease of some office space. And the deal fell through!! Now the Secret Service is in a trailer outside Trump Tower.
Can you imagine President Trump negotiating a nuclear weapons agreement with Kim Jong Un. He'll probably end up selling NK some of our weapons and say he got us a "Yuge Deal". How much longer do we have to put up with this man? It already seems like an eternity!
We have the Trump Govt. Administration negotiating with the Trump private business organization for a simple lease of some office space. And the deal fell through!! Now the Secret Service is in a trailer outside Trump Tower.
Can you imagine President Trump negotiating a nuclear weapons agreement with Kim Jong Un. He'll probably end up selling NK some of our weapons and say he got us a "Yuge Deal". How much longer do we have to put up with this man? It already seems like an eternity!
10
Deal-maker in chief my foot. The big closer - hah! This clown can't close a door!
10
Trump's background on deals were all about money. But in dealing with Congress, the GOP already has its billionaire backers, and Trump is late to the party.
3
Listening to the transcript of his browbeating the Mexican president about his idiotic wall, you get the idea you are listening to a 3rd grader tossing a tantrum. Trump can't 'negotiate' his way out of a paper bag.
Over here he is a dimestore joke. In Washington, where all but a precious few are bought and paid for, the reality is beginning to settle in what a huge disaster this clown is.
Over here he is a dimestore joke. In Washington, where all but a precious few are bought and paid for, the reality is beginning to settle in what a huge disaster this clown is.
11
Your article tells it like it is: Trump is, in truth, an abject failure. He is the ruse-in-chief. We have the health care ruse, the wall ruse, the diplomacy ruse, and up at the top, the infrastructure repair ruse. As I watch him fumble through, I become more and more depressed. There is nothing positive emanating from him. The White House is a dump because he inhabits it.
The realization by Congress that they have to walk abound behind him with a pick-up bag, although positive, is long overdue.
If there's a bottom line here, it is this: America has been had.
The realization by Congress that they have to walk abound behind him with a pick-up bag, although positive, is long overdue.
If there's a bottom line here, it is this: America has been had.
12
As this editorial confirms from just a few quoted presidential utterances, virtually everything Trump says is pure flim-flam, and very dim flim-flam at that. Yet, 60+ million American voters were flim-flammed into voting for him anyway. What does that say about nation's deficit in critical thinking skill?
10
This has surely been said before and is not original in the least, but trump's book authored by a ghost writer, should be more accurately titled "The Art of the Steal". As for the accounts of his deals, when you get through the filler material, he was a lousy deal maker, accomplishing only one of any significance by pulling a fast one on NYC regulating authorities to get approval on a large hotel project.
I don't know why it doesn't get more mention but at one of his many campaign rallies he proudly stated more than once: "Ah... I love spending other people's money!" The crowd roared of course. You have to wonder, will these people ever, ever understand that they've elected a fraud and a con who's going to pick their pockets like the pro that he is?
I don't know why it doesn't get more mention but at one of his many campaign rallies he proudly stated more than once: "Ah... I love spending other people's money!" The crowd roared of course. You have to wonder, will these people ever, ever understand that they've elected a fraud and a con who's going to pick their pockets like the pro that he is?
6
Once Mueller's grand juries begin deposing family members, it will be the "Art of the Squeal".
13
There was little doubt that this would be how a Trump administration would act, but people still voted for him. Americans aren't interested in competent government, they want entertainment, and this is what they got. Stop complaining and enjoy the show. The world is melting, our infrastructure is imploding, and we are about to go to war with North Korea. Grab the popcorn, close the curtains, turn on the TV, and enjoy what you voted for.
5
"The (sanctions) legislation is actually proof that Congress has learned not to trust Mr. Trump to strike good deals and has seen quite enough of his negotiating skills."
I watch a lot of movies about war, the kind where the heroes commonly say "follow me, boys."
Trump is the kind of man who says, "Go on ahead boys, I'll catch up to you later."
Who in his right mind would follow this man anywhere?
I watch a lot of movies about war, the kind where the heroes commonly say "follow me, boys."
Trump is the kind of man who says, "Go on ahead boys, I'll catch up to you later."
Who in his right mind would follow this man anywhere?
7
If Trump really was such a great negotiator, like no other, why did he have to call Mexican President Pena-Neto, and Australian Prime Minister Turnbull, and childishly asking for a Do-Over? Surely, Vladimir Putin clued him in: No Mulligans Allowed!
https://thetruthoncommonsense.com
https://thetruthoncommonsense.com
3
The idea that republicans are working with democrats in congress is ridiculous. Those dirtballs were 1 vote from stripping health insurance and access to healthcare from millions to cut taxes on their campaign donors. Do you even listen to what they say? No difference in the talking points of congressional republicans and the Freedom works Koch Bros, Chamber of Commerce and the API - its all about cutting taxes and regulations. And it doesn't matter what the issues is, everything can be solved by cutting taxes and regulations.
Theres no bipartisan nothin' happenin' up in here...
Theres no bipartisan nothin' happenin' up in here...
3
The base of the Republican party is thrilled with this President - both in terms of his "accomplishments" and the tone of his administration. They love the quashing of environmental and workplace protections, the futile preservation of coal, and the oil drilling promises. They love his Supreme Court pick and his feisty and phony immigration bans. But most of all, they adore his irritation with and belittlement of the press, his "finger in the eye" of the coastal elites, and his pronouncement of fact as "fake news."
And here's the deal, for millions of anti-Trump voters. You can't lose a million black votes for Obama by the choice to stay home on election day. You can't have a Jill Stein ciphoning off votes in the close-call rust belt states. And most importantly, you can't allow a Republican to outflank you on the left with an appeal to suffering Americans that he has the answers for them.
That's exactly what happened. He parlayed Clinton misogyny, Clinton mistrust, and a set of false promises to walk into the White House in one of the greatest con jobs ever perpetrated on the American people.
And here's the deal, for millions of anti-Trump voters. You can't lose a million black votes for Obama by the choice to stay home on election day. You can't have a Jill Stein ciphoning off votes in the close-call rust belt states. And most importantly, you can't allow a Republican to outflank you on the left with an appeal to suffering Americans that he has the answers for them.
That's exactly what happened. He parlayed Clinton misogyny, Clinton mistrust, and a set of false promises to walk into the White House in one of the greatest con jobs ever perpetrated on the American people.
4
Superior analysis by NYTimes Editors skewers the Trump fraud.
2
Thank God the deal maker went to ground in some New Jersey golf course!
After 6 months of unprecedented chaos and congressional impotence, America deserves a rest.
What sane tax payer would trust Comrade Trump with Tax reform or Infrastructure projects?
After 6 months of unprecedented chaos and congressional impotence, America deserves a rest.
What sane tax payer would trust Comrade Trump with Tax reform or Infrastructure projects?
1
All great stuff. And meanwhile, back at the ranch, Mueller keeps grinding away. Tick tock, tick tock.
4
Whew. That's strong stuff, but well said. It's a hard hitting, logical brief, making the case against a disastrously chosen person. Congress is about self-preservation after all. It was only a matter of time. He's no longer useful to them...or Putin.
5
I hope everyone who voted for trump believing him to be a master deal maker read the trascript of him begging the president of Mexico not to make him look bad after admitting he was full of baloney about the wall. This guy couldn't negotiate discounted groceries even with a handful of coupons.
5
Mr. Trump and his family are a carnival sideshow. If only it cost but a quarter to witness, and entry was optional.
What a lot of hot air.
What a lot of hot air.
2
Simply stated, Donald Trump is a fraud.
4
Trump is a facade, behind him the wheels of koch-bannon are destroying
our civil society, destroying its norms, conventions, and practices.
our civil society, destroying its norms, conventions, and practices.
3
With all the turmoil of Russia ensnaring this 'administration', it's the bluster of 'making the greatest deals' that contributes equally to draining Trump's remaining reserves of credibility. Apart from the dubious elevation of Jus. Gorsuch to the SCOTUS, and the rolling-back of Obama-era 2nd tier legislation, the months since Jan 21 have been a wilderness of empty words, failed attempts at addressing AHC and toe-curlingly embarrassing diplomacy.
Of course, not everything can be laid at Trump's door, but when he promised the Nation he 'knew more than the generals' and only he 'could fix', he was setting himself an extraordinarily high bar, one that most aspiring candidates to the White House would not do.
Trump has auto-manufactured ideas of greatness & competence that do not translate to the office of POTUS. Self-glorification and enrichment can never be the opening clauses of any deal, begging a counterpart to at least not make you look a dope betrays shocking weakness, and lack of knowledge on any given subject illustrates ignorance & laziness.
The only deal Trump showed interest to pursue was the fostering of closer ties with Moscow. Now, to his great chagrin, that's off the table, too.
Now he's retired to TrumpLand to contemplate his position, where he will doubtless put in a few rounds of golf, rail at those who have betrayed him and go knock-kneed at the thought of SC Mueller dragging the Trump skeletons out of the closet.
And, still, there will be no deals.
Of course, not everything can be laid at Trump's door, but when he promised the Nation he 'knew more than the generals' and only he 'could fix', he was setting himself an extraordinarily high bar, one that most aspiring candidates to the White House would not do.
Trump has auto-manufactured ideas of greatness & competence that do not translate to the office of POTUS. Self-glorification and enrichment can never be the opening clauses of any deal, begging a counterpart to at least not make you look a dope betrays shocking weakness, and lack of knowledge on any given subject illustrates ignorance & laziness.
The only deal Trump showed interest to pursue was the fostering of closer ties with Moscow. Now, to his great chagrin, that's off the table, too.
Now he's retired to TrumpLand to contemplate his position, where he will doubtless put in a few rounds of golf, rail at those who have betrayed him and go knock-kneed at the thought of SC Mueller dragging the Trump skeletons out of the closet.
And, still, there will be no deals.
1
I wonder if "Mr." would have been used of Obama. I believe it's President Trump. I know it hurts, but it's true, even for the bitter dolts at the New York Times.
He's illegitimate, the product of a Russian influence campaign. He will be removed from office before the 2018 election, so, RWNJ, enjoy your pathetic moment in the sun, it will be over soon.
George Washington started the tradition of calling the president "Mr." It is a completely respectful term as any butter don't should know.
Trump's genius for negotiation amounts to ONE tactic - BULLYING. That's it! Genius? Strategy? Impossible. He is strictly a Bully! Does anyone really think he can negotiate anything if he is on a level playing field? Who in their right mind would hire Trump to run a company? Any good deal in his favor is likely based on a lie or fraud.
For the glory of Trumpsky? He was asking the entire nation of Mexico to accept humiliation just so Trump can gloat. The arrogance of this gringo makes us all look bad.
For the glory of Trumpsky? He was asking the entire nation of Mexico to accept humiliation just so Trump can gloat. The arrogance of this gringo makes us all look bad.
5
Getting rolled
And, he has gone to New Jersey for two weeks! While they redo the West Wing..wanna bet he hires somebody to check for bugs when he gets back?! Possibly, we won't be subjected to any Twitter fingers while he's gone! We can only hope! Happy vaca, everybody! We have earned it.
1
It's bad enough that Trump is an incompetent, bigoted, ignorant bully, but in begging the Mexican president for political cover he has also shown himself to be pathetic. He is the opposite of every single thing he claims to be.
2
Readers might like to check out "The Dubious Friends of Donald Trump", a couple of quite long documentaries by the Dutch TV Zembla.
They're on YouTube.
No wonder he's so upset about investigation into his family's financial background ! What a fool to run for President with all that crooked baggage.
They're on YouTube.
No wonder he's so upset about investigation into his family's financial background ! What a fool to run for President with all that crooked baggage.
2
Nothing makes sense about our 45th President or his paralyzing and feeble administration. Trump is a loser, Time to pick him up with a tweezers, like a tick, and toss him into the jar with an inch of alcohol.
2
The small business suppliers he stiffed, students he defrauded, and women he molested knew exactly what the cad and thief was about. When is America going to become great again and wake up to the charlatan called Trump?
3
Romney was right. Trump is a fraud and a phony and a con man. He needs to be either ousted or just isolated and avoided as the national plague he is.
3
So Trump is the "worst" liar in U.S. history, in the sense that he "LIED" both perfectly and 'pathetically'!
1
If Trump were not president, we'd call him a scam artist. He promises things he cannot deliver and tells people what they want to hear. Then, he takes the money and hides. America was scammed, with the help of Russians, and now we wring our hands in dismay. It took a few weeks for Trump to sweep the country, and now it may take years to get rid of him.
1
I don't think Donald Trump realizes he works for the government now. He is so used to getting his deals done as a businessman that he thinks the government runs like a business and people can be bought, sued, coaxed, cajoled, threatened, bullied, made to buy stuff under duress, won over by bribery and so on....As a businessman he could bend rules to suit himself, he had enough lawyers, accountants, tax folks to do his dirty work for him. He really has no idea that the country does not run like his businesses. His voters bought into his promises hoping that he will somehow magically wave a wand and make things happen, because he is a businessman, you know.
7
The approval rating for Congress is hovers in the teens, about half of what our blowhard President manages to garner from his base no matter how disastrous, disingenuous or abysmal his performance gets.
As bad as the Donald is, Trump is unwittingly providing great cover for the mulch deeper and broader American political meltdown.
As bad as the Donald is, Trump is unwittingly providing great cover for the mulch deeper and broader American political meltdown.
4
What ?
While the daily side show of this administration continues to exhaust, is anyone keeping an eye on Bannon, Pruitt, the carnage at State? I try to follow, but have they succeeded in their odious agenda's? Any damage done?
Yes, I am interested in Russia, but more interested in these guys and what they're doing. Anyone with children should pay attention, for the future does not look bright.
Yes, I am interested in Russia, but more interested in these guys and what they're doing. Anyone with children should pay attention, for the future does not look bright.
5
Release those taxes, Blimpie.
9
Now Any did u hear about this one....
Tell me are you locked in the punch...
Andy are you goofin on Elvis, hey baby...
Are we losing touch....
....the media is locked in the punch. Trump is Tony Clifton - treat him as a joke....dont let Trump lock YOU in his punch line.
Tell me are you locked in the punch...
Andy are you goofin on Elvis, hey baby...
Are we losing touch....
....the media is locked in the punch. Trump is Tony Clifton - treat him as a joke....dont let Trump lock YOU in his punch line.
3
I'm setting my sights low. He's on vacation (or not) but as long as we don't get any Putinesque shirtless shots, let's call it a win.
4
Trump has never practiced the art of the deal but rather the art of the flim flam. Calling it the art of the deal is is only part of the flim flam.
Government service is or should be about serving the public. While this is rarely practiced Trump has brought the art of self service as a politician to a whole new level to the point where even other self serving politicians can begin to see the flim flam. When will his supporters finally recognize this? It is hard to acknowledge that you have been flim flamed so you wind up in denial until reality whacks you on the side of the head.
Government service is or should be about serving the public. While this is rarely practiced Trump has brought the art of self service as a politician to a whole new level to the point where even other self serving politicians can begin to see the flim flam. When will his supporters finally recognize this? It is hard to acknowledge that you have been flim flamed so you wind up in denial until reality whacks you on the side of the head.
7
The transcripts of his conversation with the president of mexico prove that trump suffers from cognitive impairment as he can barely complete thoughts and sentences. It is not just an act to make him seem more relatable to his fans which is something I had always wondered.
He sounded like a moron trying to tell the mexican president to lie and just not say they wouldn't pay for the wall so trump could save face with his fans and hope they would forget about his campaign promise. childish and ridiculous. his fans should be furious, but as usual, they either don't know enough or care enough to hold him accountable or feel betrayed. Like trump, his fans don't like being proven wrong.
Trump couldn't deal his way out of a paper bag.
He sounded like a moron trying to tell the mexican president to lie and just not say they wouldn't pay for the wall so trump could save face with his fans and hope they would forget about his campaign promise. childish and ridiculous. his fans should be furious, but as usual, they either don't know enough or care enough to hold him accountable or feel betrayed. Like trump, his fans don't like being proven wrong.
Trump couldn't deal his way out of a paper bag.
7
Trump is a real estate salesman with numerous bankruptcies that highlight his "skills". It's a family business - no stickholdrts, no board of directors. He's a man who spent his time golfing and chasing women. And you expected talent? The opening sentence of his book is just another meaningless statement.
4
The only deal Donald J. Trump should be cutting right now is a plea bargain. He vacates the White House in exchange for Robert Mueller not putting his sorry backside in jail.
7
Thanks for this piece. After General No-nonsense took over as chief of staff/big-babysitter this week, Trump hasn't done anything overtly stupid (that we know about) in a couple days. I was jonesing for a new story chronicling his incompetence. This will do for now. I'm sure by Monday he'll have embarrassed the US anew.
4
Let's FAKE a Deal. He IS an international joke, of epic proportions. And I do mean epic.
4
Before we get too carried away with "infrastructure" we should fully realize that with Trump and a lot of Wall St. hedge fund sleaze it means an easy way to cheat American taxpayers out of billions of dollars. Read about the Birmingham AL sewer debacle.
6
No less the irony: Big Govt determining which industries win on immigration.
Winners: High tech (other than renewable energy, of course). Possibly depressing wages of high-skilled Americans.
Losers: Tourism, reestaurant/hospitality, agriculture. "Unskilled" Americans are going to leave their homes/familes to wander our country to bend over and pick crops all day under the hot sun for "better" wages because there are no immigrants to "compete"?
Winners: High tech (other than renewable energy, of course). Possibly depressing wages of high-skilled Americans.
Losers: Tourism, reestaurant/hospitality, agriculture. "Unskilled" Americans are going to leave their homes/familes to wander our country to bend over and pick crops all day under the hot sun for "better" wages because there are no immigrants to "compete"?
3
It is a clear article 25 situation. The man is ill - I really don't think he thought he would win and he certainly didn't know what is was getting into. The Press makes it all worse; all this attention supercharges the situation and these "malignant" narcissists thrive on it. So it goes.
3
The laundry list of this infant's failed deals is positively Augean. Only residual capital would have kept him afloat, had he an honest man's gift for gab. But he does not. Show us what his net worth is, in his promises to his own tragic following.
1
This president knows how to do only one thing well: The art of the lying con job.
Or perhaps it's just mental illness of some kind.
At any rate, he is a sad failure.
And there's an incredible 825 more days of this sad sack.
Or perhaps it's just mental illness of some kind.
At any rate, he is a sad failure.
And there's an incredible 825 more days of this sad sack.
3
You know I am sure I am not the only one who spends far too much time in
therapy discussing Trump and what a creep he is. My therapist told me that a friend of hers had been a neighbor of the Trump family when Trump was a boy and the neighbor would see him throw a hard ball at the family dog, over and over again. The poor dog yelping and in great pain. The neighbor complained to the Trump family. I do not know the outcome. I mean for the dog. It still breaks my heart to think of that poor dog. And actually for that poor boy Trump who must have been in great pain himself to be so cruel. Or is he a sociopath?
therapy discussing Trump and what a creep he is. My therapist told me that a friend of hers had been a neighbor of the Trump family when Trump was a boy and the neighbor would see him throw a hard ball at the family dog, over and over again. The poor dog yelping and in great pain. The neighbor complained to the Trump family. I do not know the outcome. I mean for the dog. It still breaks my heart to think of that poor dog. And actually for that poor boy Trump who must have been in great pain himself to be so cruel. Or is he a sociopath?
5
As we already surmised during his campaign, the Trumperor has no clothes.
3
In-depth and continuous analysis should be done of Trump, his family and the people who vomited for him. Any reasonable person will tell you that he has Rudimentary knowledge of Government and the law, undisciplined, autocratic tendencies. Who do you blame for the mind set of his voters, teachers, parents, the educational system or politicians. Anyway you look at it we are in trouble as a nation.
2
I'd say the church has a great deal to do with it along with his billionaire friends who've unleashed a torrent of dark money onto the political process.
Oh, and Fox Noise.
Oh, and Fox Noise.
A deal maker lets the deal speak for itself. A boaster boasts. They are mutually exclusive.
4
He's not a "deal maker". He never has been. Hes' a charlatan, con-man, grifter, pimp. He's been ripping people off for decades with this charade. American, wake up, you've been bamboozled!
4
Don the Con sold himself to America as a savvy, smart, sophisticated business man who would be very effective and accomplish many good things for the country. His first six months has exploded that myth. In fact, he is an inept, incompetent, low-energy person who causes all sorts of problems. Don't forget, this is the man who presided over several business failures and bankruptcies. One of his biggest fears is that his real net worth will become known and it will turn out he's been lying about how rich he is. If he were so rich, why was he slapping his name on merch like steaks, water and even a bogus "university". What other billionaire does that? Buffet? Bezos? Gates?
4
The President is a huckster & a con man. Many people voted for him because they believed he could make deals. We're starting to learn that he's all talk, no action. By the end of his term he'll need to be lucky to cut a deal with his 20% approval rating.
2
Every day the baseless lies of this incompetent moron show us that Government cannot be run like a business. This man has no place in the WH. He does not know what he is doing, tweets away to announce policy and to decry everything and everyone. Why should he care about the WH anyway since he says it is a " dump"! Please investigators: take care of this problem now before this man makes a real deal with the devil. Congress is obviously in not too much of a hurry...Sad!
2
Multiple bankruptcies, failed brands, short-changing or stiffing vendors and contractors are hardly the hallmarks of success. Perhaps the one thing that he was smart about was to retain the most unscrupulous attorneys and sharp accountants.This self-aggrandizing con artist now faces challenges he is neither capable of comprehending nor interested in addressing.
This show should have closed before the out of town tryouts. Time to pull the plug.
This show should have closed before the out of town tryouts. Time to pull the plug.
2
Several bankruptcies for this bizz-wizz caused Benedict Donald to seek money from Russia, there being no legitimate sources available. Now he's in the repayment of his "investors" faze of the "deal".
PROSECUTE RUSSIAGATE!
PROSECUTE RUSSIAGATE!
2
It is becoming clearer that Trump supporters are enamoured with the man or their interpretation of the man. If they had to make the choice of either country or president, my suspicion is that they would choose the president. What is worrisome is how far these people would go to support the continued cons - saying one thing with bluster and certainty but then delivering something else. It is difficult to confess to making a poor choice and that you share some responsibility for the direction of the country.
It should be our duty at citizens to stand for the ideals that our country were founded on rather than idolizing an individual. It should be our duty to be skeptical of anyone holding office and keep them in check rather than rationalizing their actions. Trump came with much bluster but no real substance and the confederacy of dunces that he has pulled together is going to make the US a second class citizen of the world. This will be good for the Trump organization, but not so good for the rest of us.
It should be our duty at citizens to stand for the ideals that our country were founded on rather than idolizing an individual. It should be our duty to be skeptical of anyone holding office and keep them in check rather than rationalizing their actions. Trump came with much bluster but no real substance and the confederacy of dunces that he has pulled together is going to make the US a second class citizen of the world. This will be good for the Trump organization, but not so good for the rest of us.
2
The only deal the President has, or is able to make is to continue to throw '' red meat ''rhetoric to his base of 35% ( which is shrinking by the minute )
He is supposed to be the standard bearer of the republican party, but barely even speaks to them. Congress is in charge of any ''deals'' because they are in charge of the purse. Their only objective i( at this moment ) is a tax cut and nothing else.
They couldn't get it together to take away health care from 23+ million Americans to implement said tax cut ( mainly for millionaires and billionaires ) so now they are scrambling to figure out how they can put it on the country's credit card ( YOU the taxpayer's card )
The President is nothing more than a hindrance and a bystander, that can only hurl threats at the lawmakers AND his own cabinet, if they get in his way of his '' deal making ''
Sad.
He is supposed to be the standard bearer of the republican party, but barely even speaks to them. Congress is in charge of any ''deals'' because they are in charge of the purse. Their only objective i( at this moment ) is a tax cut and nothing else.
They couldn't get it together to take away health care from 23+ million Americans to implement said tax cut ( mainly for millionaires and billionaires ) so now they are scrambling to figure out how they can put it on the country's credit card ( YOU the taxpayer's card )
The President is nothing more than a hindrance and a bystander, that can only hurl threats at the lawmakers AND his own cabinet, if they get in his way of his '' deal making ''
Sad.
5
SCOTT PELLEY: What’s your plan for Obamacare?
DONALD TRUMP: Obamacare is going to be repealed and replaced. Obamacare’s a disaster. If you look at what’s going on with premiums where their up 45, 50, 55 percent….
PELLEY: So how do you fix it?
TRUMP: There’s many different ways by the way. Everybody’s got to be covered. This is an unrepublican thing for me to say because a lot of times they say no, no the lower 25 percent they can’t afford private but…
PELLEY: Universal health care?
TRUMP: I am going to take care of everybody. I don’t care if it costs me votes or not. Everybody’s going to be taken care of, much better than they’re taken care of now.
PELLEY: The uninsured person is going to be taken care of?
TRUMP: They’re going to be taken care of
PELLEY: How?
TRUMP: I would make a deal with existing hospitals to take care of people and you know what this is probably….
PELLEY: Make a deal? Who pays for it?
TRUMP: The government’s going to pay for it but we’re going to save so much money on the other side. But for the most part it’s going to be a private plan and people are going to be able to go out and negotiate great plans with lots of different competition with lots of competitors with great companies and they can have their doctors, they can have their plans, they can have everything.
=========================
DONALD TRUMP: Obamacare is going to be repealed and replaced. Obamacare’s a disaster. If you look at what’s going on with premiums where their up 45, 50, 55 percent….
PELLEY: So how do you fix it?
TRUMP: There’s many different ways by the way. Everybody’s got to be covered. This is an unrepublican thing for me to say because a lot of times they say no, no the lower 25 percent they can’t afford private but…
PELLEY: Universal health care?
TRUMP: I am going to take care of everybody. I don’t care if it costs me votes or not. Everybody’s going to be taken care of, much better than they’re taken care of now.
PELLEY: The uninsured person is going to be taken care of?
TRUMP: They’re going to be taken care of
PELLEY: How?
TRUMP: I would make a deal with existing hospitals to take care of people and you know what this is probably….
PELLEY: Make a deal? Who pays for it?
TRUMP: The government’s going to pay for it but we’re going to save so much money on the other side. But for the most part it’s going to be a private plan and people are going to be able to go out and negotiate great plans with lots of different competition with lots of competitors with great companies and they can have their doctors, they can have their plans, they can have everything.
=========================
7
Mr. Trump is neither shrewed nor hard nosed or even particularly intelligent. He is not the great deal maker. So, what is he? He's PT Barnum. He's also oblivious, insecure, egotistical and "ham-handed in dealing with Republicans" and everyone else. The difference between Mr. Trump's 3 ring circus and Mr. Barnum's is that Mr. Barnum was in control.
Mr. Trump doesn't listen to others. He doesn't understand how to bring people tougher and create coalitions. Instead he antagonizes, bullies, and creates the dissent that is destroying his presidency and endangering the United States. That is the larger problem. Trump needs, desperately needs, to learn the history of one the great American presidents, Dwight David Eisenhower.
Eisenhower came to office after a distinguished career as soldier. He was not bombastic, or a braggart. He was not disorganized and did not hold others in contempt and he did not come to office set upon dismantling the legacy of the New Deal or demeaning the previous President, Harry Truman. He came humbly and with respect for American institutions and American law. Eisenhower understood the uniqueness of America and of our government.
Trump understands nothing. He is angry, bitter, and lacks the basic understanding and respect for the institutions of government. Trump lacks character. He is not a leader. He has no insight and no moral compass.
Trump is endangering all of America. Congress needs to end this crisis of relentless dysfunction.
Mr. Trump doesn't listen to others. He doesn't understand how to bring people tougher and create coalitions. Instead he antagonizes, bullies, and creates the dissent that is destroying his presidency and endangering the United States. That is the larger problem. Trump needs, desperately needs, to learn the history of one the great American presidents, Dwight David Eisenhower.
Eisenhower came to office after a distinguished career as soldier. He was not bombastic, or a braggart. He was not disorganized and did not hold others in contempt and he did not come to office set upon dismantling the legacy of the New Deal or demeaning the previous President, Harry Truman. He came humbly and with respect for American institutions and American law. Eisenhower understood the uniqueness of America and of our government.
Trump understands nothing. He is angry, bitter, and lacks the basic understanding and respect for the institutions of government. Trump lacks character. He is not a leader. He has no insight and no moral compass.
Trump is endangering all of America. Congress needs to end this crisis of relentless dysfunction.
8
It's absolutely certain that anything and everything in the Federal Government will work better if only we could get rid of Trump. You might also say that even Congress will work better if only we could get rid of McConnell. But then there is Mike Pence, coming up with all of his religious requirements and fake standards. What can an American citizen do but VOTE!
6
I pray for the Home of the Brave and for Republicans worthy of the moniker. I realize that anger in the direction of his loyal base is ineffective because as Mark Twain famously wrote “It is easier to fool people than it is to convince them they have been fooled”. A bunch of the congressmen know better and realize that 45 is a humiliating disaster on the world stage now will enough of them do the right thing?
2
This editorial summarizes a much broader verdict on the national disgrace of Trump. The next verdict will follow Muller's investigation.
3
The ultimate question is, Are we going to abandon 240+ years of our Constitution and Democracy in favor of a wanna be tyrant who's best instinct represents the worst of Humanity?
5
There are no surprises in what you write about Mr Trump. I applaud you for keep trying to understand this low achiever who inherited a fortune and managed by hook and by crook to convince people he is still rich. I think the best way to understand this fellow was the comment I heard on MSNBC that 'The ideas of Trump have a shelf life of around an hour'.
So why do I care writing as I do from the beauty of the French Alps? I care because destroying the USA through pettiness and militarism also affects the rest of the world. Just take one issue racism, for instance. Trumps implicit war of words against Muslims simply gives the forces of darkness more power for their vicious ideas. The solution, and even President Obama failed here, is simply to use more drones. Collateral damage then creates more, not fewer terrorists. Sadly, such a simple truth doesnt even get to Trump's shelf.
So why do I care writing as I do from the beauty of the French Alps? I care because destroying the USA through pettiness and militarism also affects the rest of the world. Just take one issue racism, for instance. Trumps implicit war of words against Muslims simply gives the forces of darkness more power for their vicious ideas. The solution, and even President Obama failed here, is simply to use more drones. Collateral damage then creates more, not fewer terrorists. Sadly, such a simple truth doesnt even get to Trump's shelf.
1
Is President Trump the Bernie Madoff of politics?
1
SB
Madoff stole money
Trump stole 241 years of Democracy
Big difference
Madoff stole money
Trump stole 241 years of Democracy
Big difference
2
so it's official: the international business community doesn't care which campaign or government official is talking to which Russian intelligence or government-affiliated official - this is the [ current ] end-result of Trumpism
Are we supposed to be surprised?
1
Like a drug addict or a drunk sometimes you just have to hit rock bottom. I think Trump led the Republicans to the rock bottom. Maybe now they will be interested in doing their jobs for a change. The Democrats have been Waiting for them to try and legislate for over 8 years.
4
Donald Trump never wrote The Art of the Deal. It was ghost written. He is not a very good businessman and never has been; what he is good at is lying and cheating. He prides himself on being the Great Negotiator, but the evidence so far is he couldn't negotiate himself out of a paper bag. He inherited a lot of money from his father and has probably lost more money than he has ever made. His fortune is a House of Cards, built on dark money from questionable sources. The Republican Party, with the help of two important parts of their base: the selfish and the ignorant, put him in power. Trump can do nothing for any of them, and slowly, some of them now see the writing on the wall.
3
Precedent For-Now Trump was, is and forever will be a fraud. He knows it, we know it. What he, apparently, doesn't know is that no one - no one - in Washington likes him, respects him, or even thinks about him in any context other than how he can be used for their own ends, not for his nor for the country's. It's even money that he'll resign before year's end because "we really don't deserve him." He'll spin it masterfully because it's what, in fact, he knows how to do quite well.
2
Sadly, Trump's incompetence means he is not only unable to read and interpret extensive complex documents --- this means he is also functionally illiterate -- he does not use reading to help our future development -- he is only focused on himself and his image, now failing.
Trump's whole team needs to resign, including Pence, who has also lied to protect Trump's incompetence.
Trump's whole team needs to resign, including Pence, who has also lied to protect Trump's incompetence.
5
The only deal the President has, or is able to make is to continue to throw '' red meat ''rhetoric to his base of 35% ( which is shrinking by the minute )
He is supposed to be the standard bearer of the republican party, but barely even speaks to them. Congress is in charge of any ''deals'' because they are in charge of the purse. Their only objective i( at this moment ) is a tax cut and nothing else.
They couldn't get it together to take away health care from 23+ million Americans to implement said tax cut ( mainly for millionaires and billionaires ) so now they are scrambling to figure out how they can put it on the country's credit card ( YOU the taxpayer's card )
The President is nothing more than a hindrance and a bystander, that can only hurl threats at the lawmakers AND his own cabinet, if they get in his way of his '' deal making ''
Sad.
He is supposed to be the standard bearer of the republican party, but barely even speaks to them. Congress is in charge of any ''deals'' because they are in charge of the purse. Their only objective i( at this moment ) is a tax cut and nothing else.
They couldn't get it together to take away health care from 23+ million Americans to implement said tax cut ( mainly for millionaires and billionaires ) so now they are scrambling to figure out how they can put it on the country's credit card ( YOU the taxpayer's card )
The President is nothing more than a hindrance and a bystander, that can only hurl threats at the lawmakers AND his own cabinet, if they get in his way of his '' deal making ''
Sad.
3
The biggest deal that Mr. Trump ever made was 'picking' a multimillionaire German American New York City real estate baron father.
Big deal.
Queen Elizabeth II made an even 'better' and 'bigger' deal.
Big deal.
Queen Elizabeth II made an even 'better' and 'bigger' deal.
2
By now, editorializing about Trump's dishonesty and incompetence is old news. What the Times should really be asking is: "Where is the 2018 deal for disenchanted voters, Democrats?"
1
Dearls? Deals? What deals? This is a man who has made his fortunes by serial bankruptcies, in which he got the money and others paid the bills. Is that what he means by deals?
2
Trump needed saving several times in his career as a conman, pretending to be a businessman. His father and his family, then some major banks who now won’t not lend him a dime and as we will soon learn, I suspect, that perhaps 10 years ago, this conman in his constant search for new sources of credit and cash went to Russian oligarch controlled foreign banks and found financial rescue in the money laundering business. Who ever said Trump deals had to be legal or discoverable. The bruhaha is the attempt to keep this secret.
Trump should write a new book and call it “ The Art of the Scam.” Scamming people is a major new business model. This week I got a phone call from one of those services you can subscribe to if your computer is acting strange. I was told that they were monitoring my computer and that I was hacked.
I fell for the same scam 3 years ago and paid $300 for software which I could have downed loaded free. This time they wanted $300, for 2 years “protection” from hackers. They showed me on my computer all the awful stuff they said was infecting it. Once burned twice shy. This time I installed an inexpensive anti-hacking program which scanned my computer and no threats were found. With Trump bigger promises, much bigger lies, and more lies.
This is where America is. It fell for Trump’s scam. Saw it was a scam and now the victims should be wise to this con, except for those who have fallen into the Trump cult and for those the only remedy is pain.
Trump should write a new book and call it “ The Art of the Scam.” Scamming people is a major new business model. This week I got a phone call from one of those services you can subscribe to if your computer is acting strange. I was told that they were monitoring my computer and that I was hacked.
I fell for the same scam 3 years ago and paid $300 for software which I could have downed loaded free. This time they wanted $300, for 2 years “protection” from hackers. They showed me on my computer all the awful stuff they said was infecting it. Once burned twice shy. This time I installed an inexpensive anti-hacking program which scanned my computer and no threats were found. With Trump bigger promises, much bigger lies, and more lies.
This is where America is. It fell for Trump’s scam. Saw it was a scam and now the victims should be wise to this con, except for those who have fallen into the Trump cult and for those the only remedy is pain.
1
"No man is great if he thinks he is."
--Will Rogers
--Will Rogers
4
"...he’s getting rolled on the major promises of his campaign — health care, infrastructure, taxes and jobs."
Employment reports have come in strong under Trump and job creation remains high. The NYT in its zeal to bash Trump once again oversteps the truth.
Employment reports have come in strong under Trump and job creation remains high. The NYT in its zeal to bash Trump once again oversteps the truth.
2
Thanks for this. If nothing else, it lets me know I'm not alone in my misery with how the politics have gotten even worse than I could have imagined. I live in a city with one local newspaper that won't report on Trump and Pence, since this is Pence's home state. It's so red in this state that people will say that newspaper is "liberal." Even if Trump should be impeached eventually, Pence is no prize. Matter of fact, he's no better at all. He, too, love divisive politics.
1
Doubtlessly, Trump will take credit for Democrats and Republicans working together by saying he intentionally acted insane and incompetent to force them to do so. In a bizarre twisted sense he will actually be correct, except for the intentional part.
3
I hope those key 80000 voters in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin read this editorial.
Every day there is some news relating to Trump.But today the news that the US had delivered to the UN the official withdrawal of the US from the Paris Climate Agreement.This decision supposed to guarantee more employment to more Americans. We, with Syria (Nicaragua?) are the only countries that have not signed on to join the global community in reducing global warming. As I read this I did not think about the words "winning" or "deals."There will be no winning and there will be no deals.These two words are the words drummed into little Donald.They are the ideas his voters dreamed would be in their futures. So much so that they would get "tired of WINNING." They would get bored by all the fabulous "DEALS" he would make for them. But when I wondered how one man could lead his country into an abyss of despair and lost hope and isolation and fear of an impending global crisis-he made total sense.
Donald Trump is a man with no soul. He is an immoral man. He is an empty suit. He possesses no conscience. He lacks curiosity. He is unable to predict consequences.He stands for nothing. He believes in nothing.I could admire a man with principles- a man with a philosophy to guide him even if I totally disagreed with him But Trump is empty. He is a void.
He is moving through the air like a wisp of a feather.He cannot be held responsible for any of the hundreds of horrible choices and decisions he has made because he is not there. He has no heart, no brain, no soul.
Donald Trump is a man with no soul. He is an immoral man. He is an empty suit. He possesses no conscience. He lacks curiosity. He is unable to predict consequences.He stands for nothing. He believes in nothing.I could admire a man with principles- a man with a philosophy to guide him even if I totally disagreed with him But Trump is empty. He is a void.
He is moving through the air like a wisp of a feather.He cannot be held responsible for any of the hundreds of horrible choices and decisions he has made because he is not there. He has no heart, no brain, no soul.
Trump supporters knew he was a con man. They are not stupid. They knew he couldn’t do what he said he was going to do. It didn’t matter. According to Keith Payne in his new book “The Broken Ladder…,” Trump is only a symptom of the pathology that results from wealth inequality and our feeling of relative deprivation – even when we are not poor. We can no longer ignore the wide disparity, and it has resulted in a set of feelings and behaviors that are completely predictable: rage, risk taking, self-destruction, polarization, hatred, intolerance and suspicion. We seek immediate gratification even if it means we are threatening our own future. To a Trump supporter, Trump is their id. He expresses all those embarrassing and angry feelings that they have been hiding from each other and from themselves. He makes the rage normal and acceptable. The reaction is ecstasy. Trump supporters don’t care what he does, has done, or will do. They are one with him. If he goes down, they feel they are going down, too, and he has given them permission to express every horrible thought they have ever had, and engage in any destructive behavior they can imagine. Heaven help America if we cannot make the changes that allow all citizens to feel that forward movement is possible, and that a loving, tolerant and values-driven life can bring back the honor and self-respect we have lost by looking up to the con men, the robbers, and the exploiters.
We need an effort by perhaps highly regarded national officials to get rid of the electoral college but I am afraid that will take a long time. Trump is a laughing stock and is disgracing our nation with all his lies. He represents the worst of American capitalism. He clearly doesn't have any respect for democracy; he prefers fascism and totalitarianism. It's pretty clear that he would stoop as low as a human being can go to win an election.
"We will have so much winning if I get elected that you will get bored with winning." Do you think maybe Trump was supposed to say "whining" instead?
1
The only deal the President has, or is able to make is to continue to throw '' red meat ''rhetoric to his base of 35% ( which is shrinking by the minute )
He is supposed to be the standard bearer of the republican party, but barely even speaks to them. Congress is in charge of any ''deals'' because they are in charge of the purse. Their only objective i( at this moment ) is a tax cut and nothing else.
They couldn't get it together to take away health care from 23+ million Americans to implement said tax cut ( mainly for millionaires and billionaires ) so now they are scrambling to figure out how they can put it on the country's credit card ( YOU the taxpayer's card )
The President is nothing more than a hindrance and a bystander, that can only hurl threats at the lawmakers AND his own cabinet, if they get in his way of his '' deal making ''
Sad
He is supposed to be the standard bearer of the republican party, but barely even speaks to them. Congress is in charge of any ''deals'' because they are in charge of the purse. Their only objective i( at this moment ) is a tax cut and nothing else.
They couldn't get it together to take away health care from 23+ million Americans to implement said tax cut ( mainly for millionaires and billionaires ) so now they are scrambling to figure out how they can put it on the country's credit card ( YOU the taxpayer's card )
The President is nothing more than a hindrance and a bystander, that can only hurl threats at the lawmakers AND his own cabinet, if they get in his way of his '' deal making ''
Sad
2
Will you ever stop your haranguing of Trump? Obama accomplished very little and you practically canonized him. On the other hand, keep it up and we'll get four more years of Trump. 22k Dow. Full employment. Winning.
1
Like any accomplished con Trump is very good at saying what his audience wants to hear in language they find accessible. The only way to stop him is through successful legal action while cornering him electorally with a minority in support. And so the race is on to catch the thief.
Regardless, Trump is a symptom, not the problem. The problem is a mass of hateful, poorly educated whites coupled with an indeterminate crowd of rapacious rich. Greed and hate are terrible things and not necessarily articulate. They do know what they like, however, vis a vis the wrestling clip and tax cuts.
Regardless, Trump is a symptom, not the problem. The problem is a mass of hateful, poorly educated whites coupled with an indeterminate crowd of rapacious rich. Greed and hate are terrible things and not necessarily articulate. They do know what they like, however, vis a vis the wrestling clip and tax cuts.
When will Trump supporters recognize Trump as a ConMan? Have they invested so much emotion into this carpetbagger that their good sense evaporated? I have been following the goings-on in West Virginia. Trump promised you WHAT about coal? Maybe just maybe our coal can be exported overseas, if it's cheap enough, that's doubtful. Trump cannot deliver. He's loud, some say entertaining, he blurts out all the meanness you only think out.
Will a navy ship or an airport or a bridge or a highway be named after Trump when he goes? I just can t fathom honoring this man.
The Washington Post reports this conversation with the Mexican President:
Trump: "It is you and I against the world, Enrique, do not forget."
And also:
Trump: "He speaks better English than me"
[Yes I CAN believe his English is better than Trump's frequent gibberish and puerile word repetitions.]
These "leaks" are most valuable for the public to see. And yes, they confirm what most of us expected.
But what a colossal embarrassment is this man sitting in our president's oval office holding a phone.
Trump: "It is you and I against the world, Enrique, do not forget."
And also:
Trump: "He speaks better English than me"
[Yes I CAN believe his English is better than Trump's frequent gibberish and puerile word repetitions.]
These "leaks" are most valuable for the public to see. And yes, they confirm what most of us expected.
But what a colossal embarrassment is this man sitting in our president's oval office holding a phone.
2
America is finally waking up and realizing that MAGA and trump were nothing but a hoax and a con by Donald trump. We can still recover, but Americans must vote out the destructive republicans in Congress.
1
Part of my frustration - and anxiety - in this whole Trump Presidency is the obstinate resistance of the core group of Americans who still think he walks on water, just because he is sticking it to the liberal coastal elites and the Main Stream Media.
These people hate those groups so much they don't care if Trump's policies hurt them, if he takes away their healthcare, if he lowers their standard of living.
They sent him to D.C. to "shake things up" and he is doing just that. But politics is the glue that holds a society together, and these people are either too uninformed or too ignorant to realize that. I don't know what world they live in.
Donald Trump must pinch himself every day that he wakes up in the White House. I'll bet he still cannot believe that he is president. "Hey, I'm president, I'm PRESIDENT! Unbelievable." Yeah.
These people hate those groups so much they don't care if Trump's policies hurt them, if he takes away their healthcare, if he lowers their standard of living.
They sent him to D.C. to "shake things up" and he is doing just that. But politics is the glue that holds a society together, and these people are either too uninformed or too ignorant to realize that. I don't know what world they live in.
Donald Trump must pinch himself every day that he wakes up in the White House. I'll bet he still cannot believe that he is president. "Hey, I'm president, I'm PRESIDENT! Unbelievable." Yeah.
1
It's too bad the story didn't deal with the most unbelievable thing of all: President of the United States as Russian pawn. President of the United States as possible traitor. President of the United States as criminal. These are the things Americans are really thinking about.
2
POLICY OPWhy are Americans waiting for catastrophe?
They should be demanding that Congress impeach him now!
He cannot distinguish fantasy from reality. He lies repeatedly. He has no background experience in governing or politics. He has no real policies. He provokes distrust and anger in people. He has shown no ability to work with other nations' leaders or even his own Congress. And Trump is clearly emotionally and intellectually unfit to fulfill the duties and job as President of this most powerful nation.
What are we waiting for?
They should be demanding that Congress impeach him now!
He cannot distinguish fantasy from reality. He lies repeatedly. He has no background experience in governing or politics. He has no real policies. He provokes distrust and anger in people. He has shown no ability to work with other nations' leaders or even his own Congress. And Trump is clearly emotionally and intellectually unfit to fulfill the duties and job as President of this most powerful nation.
What are we waiting for?
1
Yes, Mr. Trump is a pretend negotiator, just as he is only a TV businessman. His book is a sham. Where would he be without his inherited wealth, his white male entitlement, and his questionable ethics? In other words, he is ignorant, lacks curiosity, and does not have any of the other skills required by his present job. With his shady deals and bankruptcies, he is just what we knew he was all along: a demagogue and a grifter.
"indifferent" to negotiating with Democrats? Criticism makes Mr. Trump extraordinarily spiteful. He can never let a slight or criticism go, no matter how trivial. Would he ever agree to work in good faith with the party of the far better qualified Secretary Clinton who received more votes than he did even after Russian help? Would the mob whose adoration he feeds on ever let him do so?
"indifferent" to negotiating with Democrats? Criticism makes Mr. Trump extraordinarily spiteful. He can never let a slight or criticism go, no matter how trivial. Would he ever agree to work in good faith with the party of the far better qualified Secretary Clinton who received more votes than he did even after Russian help? Would the mob whose adoration he feeds on ever let him do so?
Why doesn't the media lay out the fact that this charlatan is not even a successful business man. He survived through the good graces of many others. Trump inherited his father’s business - he was immediately worth of about $200M. If he had merely invested this wealth in an ordinary managed fund at around 5% he would be twice as rich as he is now. 1n 1980 he established The Trump Organization to oversee all of his real estate operations. Ten years later In 1990, due to excessive leveraging, The Trump Organization was $5 billion in debt with $1 billion personally guaranteed by Trump himself. A bailout pact agreed upon in August of that same year by some 70 banks, allowed Trump to defer on nearly $1 billion in debt, as well as to take out second and third mortgages on almost all of his properties. But for the combined and massive effort of all the banks and multiple parties in that 1990 deal, Trump’s business would have gone bankrupt and failed. Self-made? not really. Charlatan..Yes!!
355
You didn't include the money that came from Russia, that saved him. US Banks no longer lend to him, but Russian money is why he does not criticize Putin.
And all of this is news? Stupid America was exposed to all of this during the sickening presidential campaign, yet did a 'George Costanza' move and voted for him anyway after being convinced--with mainstream media's "fairness" abetting endless fear-mongering by Fox News, AM Hate Radio, etc.--that Hillary was far more corrupt, ensuring that actual policy and governing ability never got substantively discussed. Trump's only qualification for office was economic failure. When the currently stock market bubble finally crashes--and it will, the only question is when--then, and only then, should Trump's "base" be convinced they voted for the right man.
In early June 1993, just over four months into the Clinton administration, an all-caps cover headline in Time magazine blared, "THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING PRESIDENCY."
So while ineffectiveness in a new president whose party holds majorities in both the House and the Senate is indeed dismaying, it's hardly unprecedented. Our system of governance has been broken for a long time.
So while ineffectiveness in a new president whose party holds majorities in both the House and the Senate is indeed dismaying, it's hardly unprecedented. Our system of governance has been broken for a long time.
2
For sake of precision, the Time headline read, "THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING PRESIDENT" (rather than "PRESIDENCY").
1
"With nothing to show for themselves, and with Mr. Trump’s approval ratings in the 30-something range, Republicans have begun working with Democrats on fixing the flaws in Obamacare, on legislation that would protect the special counsel, Robert Mueller, from being fired by the president, and on the sanctions Mr. Trump was practically forced to sign."
This is the key; this is what we have lost in this country where so much has been accomplished over 2 and more centuries. Ideological purity corrupts because, when dealing with masses of people from every walk of life, it isn't ideology, in the end, that moves us forward but compromise, compassion and common sense. This is true in families, in dealing with children, the sick. and the elderly. It is true at every level of successful human enterprise, with bosses, subordinates, colleagues, peers, adversaries. Compromise, compassion and common sense. I am beginning to see the healing powers of an administration I had begun to view as too corrupt for relevance, let alone governance. Maybe we needed this shock to our American system so the Constitution may become the very fabric of our collective souls, our identity brand to the world, the guide to our decision-making. In my daily hours of contemplation I am learning to trust that "this, too, shall pass," and that we will be changed for the better for us all.
This is the key; this is what we have lost in this country where so much has been accomplished over 2 and more centuries. Ideological purity corrupts because, when dealing with masses of people from every walk of life, it isn't ideology, in the end, that moves us forward but compromise, compassion and common sense. This is true in families, in dealing with children, the sick. and the elderly. It is true at every level of successful human enterprise, with bosses, subordinates, colleagues, peers, adversaries. Compromise, compassion and common sense. I am beginning to see the healing powers of an administration I had begun to view as too corrupt for relevance, let alone governance. Maybe we needed this shock to our American system so the Constitution may become the very fabric of our collective souls, our identity brand to the world, the guide to our decision-making. In my daily hours of contemplation I am learning to trust that "this, too, shall pass," and that we will be changed for the better for us all.
3
Bravo, Miss Marilyn, and speaking of compassion, everyone should take special note that during the entire health care debate, the value of compassion in the society was NEVER discussed; always and only the debate concentrated on cost. We do health care for compassionate reasons, we work to find reasonable costs not the cheapest way, nor the way that most profits industry.
I'm a "Boomer". My saddest moment came recently when a more activist Boomer than me confided that she was glad her life span was nearly over.
And, I understood.
It's not the America we believed it to be.
And, I understood.
It's not the America we believed it to be.
250
In a democracy, progress is never eternal. Each generation has to fight for it again, as new forces pop up with old arguments, and part of ordinary citizens don't remember the old debate anymore and are tempted to fall for lies (because they never learned to fact-check, or don't have the time to do so, or are too stressed out to be able to live with the idea that simply solutions don't exist ...).
Obama has been a tremendous breakthrough for this country, but that also awakens other powerful forces, battling harder than ever before in order to try to survive.
Today, the US is the wealthiest country on earth, living in relative peace, and trying to become a more perfect union.
In the 21th century, that means FINALLY getting ALL citizens engaged in the lawmaking process, rather than delegating it to elected officials and the "free press" alone. If the last two decades have shown anything, it's that when one party starts to massively spread lies through a highly popular form of media (Fox News, radio hosts), then tens of millions of people can vote entirely against their own interests.
So now, what we have to fight for is totally new: it's what Saul Alinsky called "political literacy". It means understanding HOW to obtain radical change from DC, as ordinary citizens. And it implies engaging in real, respectful debates with all the victims of the lies out there, teaching them how to fact-check and how to pay attention to who does what in DC.
Yes we can ... ! ;-)
Obama has been a tremendous breakthrough for this country, but that also awakens other powerful forces, battling harder than ever before in order to try to survive.
Today, the US is the wealthiest country on earth, living in relative peace, and trying to become a more perfect union.
In the 21th century, that means FINALLY getting ALL citizens engaged in the lawmaking process, rather than delegating it to elected officials and the "free press" alone. If the last two decades have shown anything, it's that when one party starts to massively spread lies through a highly popular form of media (Fox News, radio hosts), then tens of millions of people can vote entirely against their own interests.
So now, what we have to fight for is totally new: it's what Saul Alinsky called "political literacy". It means understanding HOW to obtain radical change from DC, as ordinary citizens. And it implies engaging in real, respectful debates with all the victims of the lies out there, teaching them how to fact-check and how to pay attention to who does what in DC.
Yes we can ... ! ;-)
How sad it is to be thankful that you're not a grandparent?
Hang in there; we still have America; it's just been stained by greed and a badly educated populace, and con men dressed up like politicians. We can clean it up and we will. Americans need to do a scrub down.
As a great dealmaker once said (LBJ) you have to get the most important things done in the first six months of your term. Well, they are gone, President Trump.
6
Donald Trump has spent a lifetime on self aggrandizement. The deals he boasts about left his bankers with losses and his contractors with unpaid bills. Add to that the signs of diminished mental capacity that he has been recently displaying, and the country that saw fit to elect him president will be lucky to do no worse than his bankers and contractors.
10
We are fortunate that our Congress is finally starting to isolate Trump from any legislation or legislative process. Imagine what a terrible world we would be in were Trump able to accomplish those wild ideas of his, and if he were able to live his lies. I hope that Congress completely assumes its duties as an equal power as demanded by our Constitution.
6
yes I can imagine it....we would be living in a place called Russia!
Does anyone out there really believe the Republican Party has learned its lesson about hiring incompetent help to run the country? We've had Nixon, Ford, Bush Jr., and still they delight in voting in dangerously narcissistic men who not only don't represent all of America, they actively hate this country's poor and powerless.
And don't say Trump loves the poor and uneducated. He is doing his worst to take away health care, housing, food supplements and hope from them.
No, our American system was designed by imperial slaveholders who wanted exactly this system, and we either change it, or we are forever enslaved ourselves by the super rich oligarchs who buy politicians like the slavers bought children.
Hugh Massengill, Eugene Oregon
And don't say Trump loves the poor and uneducated. He is doing his worst to take away health care, housing, food supplements and hope from them.
No, our American system was designed by imperial slaveholders who wanted exactly this system, and we either change it, or we are forever enslaved ourselves by the super rich oligarchs who buy politicians like the slavers bought children.
Hugh Massengill, Eugene Oregon
242
Jimmy Carter. Malaise.
Bill. I did not have sex.
Obama. You can keep your doctor
Hillary. What difference does it make?
Bill. I did not have sex.
Obama. You can keep your doctor
Hillary. What difference does it make?
The Times editorial writers love slipping in their jokes, with lines like this: "Providing reliable health care coverage to tens of millions of Americans could have been the biggest kick of Mr. Trump’s life." Everybody knows that Trump doesn't know or care how health care coverage works. Trump thinks peons pay $12/month for coverage that kicks in when they're 70. Trump promised Americans "insurance for everybody" and "no cuts" to Medicaid and "everybody’s going to be taken care of". Trump didn't care that his promises were lies, he doesn't care about our health care, and the only kicks he gets are when others kowtow to him.
8
It's obvious that Trump is all talk and no action. He hasn't the foggiest idea how to implement any of the grandiose "ideas" that appealed to his base of support. His supporters will never admit it, and his media acolytes will do everything in their power to prop up this embarrassment.
With that said, the Democrats and Republicans together have gotten us to this point. Neither party wants to budge one inch on their views, and we have incompetent and self-serving career politicians leading them. Why are they this way? Because both parties spend much of their time blaming each other for all the nation's ills. Neither side wants to admit that they are part of the problem. And both parties have effectively cut this nation in half. Neither party actually believes in all the Constitution, only the parts they want to highlight. Trump certainly has no clue as to the importance of that document. But he's in good company, looking at how the Dems and Repubs alike keep the idea of a limited central government buried in the day-to-day circus that is our nation's capital.
With that said, the Democrats and Republicans together have gotten us to this point. Neither party wants to budge one inch on their views, and we have incompetent and self-serving career politicians leading them. Why are they this way? Because both parties spend much of their time blaming each other for all the nation's ills. Neither side wants to admit that they are part of the problem. And both parties have effectively cut this nation in half. Neither party actually believes in all the Constitution, only the parts they want to highlight. Trump certainly has no clue as to the importance of that document. But he's in good company, looking at how the Dems and Repubs alike keep the idea of a limited central government buried in the day-to-day circus that is our nation's capital.
3
A great part of this, of course, is that - once a member of the Congress gets elected, he/she continues to spend most of the time searching for still more political donations in order to retain the seat. No thought, or very little, is given to the actual job at hand.
And this will continue until we abolish political donations - or at least, diminish them, by law, to only a few dollars per each actual human being who wishes to support such a person.
The idea that corporations can spend unlimited amounts of money in order to buy the Congress is absolutely absurd, and the reason we have the situation we must endure today. When a corporation or group is buying a political office, they don't care if the office seeker is an idiot or not -- they only care that they have someone who will do their bidding.
Quite different from what the framers had in mind.
And this will continue until we abolish political donations - or at least, diminish them, by law, to only a few dollars per each actual human being who wishes to support such a person.
The idea that corporations can spend unlimited amounts of money in order to buy the Congress is absolutely absurd, and the reason we have the situation we must endure today. When a corporation or group is buying a political office, they don't care if the office seeker is an idiot or not -- they only care that they have someone who will do their bidding.
Quite different from what the framers had in mind.
1
The art of the deal was itself a fraud - a publicity stunt - ghost written. His only skill is rhetoric attuned to rousing a mob. We need to counter that rhetoric, not with intellect and argument, but with the same basic level of speech. Branding and invectives, that's the art of how to deal with this bombast.
8
We should remember for the last six years of the Obama administration all the Republicans worked on was destroying the Obama Presidency. Moreover, they voted to repeal the ACA something like fifty times. The only reason the Republicans are talking to the Democrats about fixing the ACA is because they fear the voters on this issue. There has been no epiphany leading to brotherly love.
Trump will sign anything Congress sends him and declare victory. Trump is clueless. His only skill is self-promotion.
We are in very deep trouble.
Trump will sign anything Congress sends him and declare victory. Trump is clueless. His only skill is self-promotion.
We are in very deep trouble.
11
Aside from the expected (and fully deserved) criticisms of Trump's incompetence, reduced brain power, and repugnant personality, his presidency will undoubtedly mark a turning in America's political history, by pushing Congress at the forefront of key decisions, taken away from a damaged-goods Executive. In the post-Trump future, it will take indeed a very strong, competent and politically very astute President -- coupled with a weaker Congress -- to return effective power to the Executive away from Congress.
If this is Trump's "art of the deal" then indeed he is an artist -- although I would have rather had Trump compose poetry or paint, for obvious reasons. And maybe, just maybe, the heightened power of Congress will lead to a more bi-partisan approach by the two centers -- right and left. That could be perhaps Trump's unintended but positive contribution to recent American politics. Amen to that.
If this is Trump's "art of the deal" then indeed he is an artist -- although I would have rather had Trump compose poetry or paint, for obvious reasons. And maybe, just maybe, the heightened power of Congress will lead to a more bi-partisan approach by the two centers -- right and left. That could be perhaps Trump's unintended but positive contribution to recent American politics. Amen to that.
4
I will speak up for a Trump voter who despises the establishment and wanted a disruptor to hurt it. He is not unpatriotic, but our generation has not been well served by either party currently owned by the donor class. An uneducated public will continue to frustrate those who believe that they have earned the good life. As long as we take the victims of the changing economy for granted, don't expect to enjoy security.
1
At this point it should be very clear that trump has no credibility with anyone who really listens to what he says and knows the facts, Looks to me like he is slowly getting sidelined and made irrelevant while congress is making steps to work together. I guess trump provided the common enemy for them to unite against.
3
Apparently the near death experience of the Democratic Party has not affected the hubris of its establishment. Like some 19th Century generals who could win battles but not wars, the current Democratic establishment can't see beyond the Battle of Trump. Their eagerness to make peace rather than relentlessly pin Mr. Trump to the Republican Party and destroy for decades its ability to wage political war will leave it a threat to my children and grandchildren, not to mention the world.
3
It's time for Americans to pressure President Trump -- for the good of the United States of America -- to resign.
How do we begin?
How do we begin?
8
Yes, I think that we all arrive at the conclusion that Trump is all self-aggrandizement...and bullying.
6
In answer to the headline title:
Severe mental illness.
Myriad manifestations of severe mental illness.
Pathological lying
Grandiosity
Bullying and belittling
Impulsiveness
Flipping and flopping and believing there's no video or audio of his contrary statements
Insecurity, why else keep bringing up the election (and lying about it)
Not real smart
not real attentive
linguistically clumsy
The list goes on,
but it boils down to one fact:
The man's mental illness makes him incapable of competently being President.
Severe mental illness.
Myriad manifestations of severe mental illness.
Pathological lying
Grandiosity
Bullying and belittling
Impulsiveness
Flipping and flopping and believing there's no video or audio of his contrary statements
Insecurity, why else keep bringing up the election (and lying about it)
Not real smart
not real attentive
linguistically clumsy
The list goes on,
but it boils down to one fact:
The man's mental illness makes him incapable of competently being President.
8
I would not be surprised to see the Republican Party at a crossroads moment. There is a real possibility of schism between Trump loyalists and clear-eyed realists who now perceive the limited shelf life of a clueless dilettante who risks tarnishing the GOP reputation for good.
4
You leave out one important component in all this: his supporters. People bought what he was selling and bought and bought and bought. They haven't been able to get enough of it. From the get go, I followed the time honored buyer's mantra: If it sounds too good to be true, it must be. So where are we on the promises: no cheap health care for everyone. We are paying for the wall. No other major proposal even in the starting blocks. Solving foreign affairs problems at a standstill or perhaps even falling backwards. And yet when I look at the interviews with his supporters, they heap accolades over all this. They are thirsty for more. They are like the person who gives their credit card information over the phone to someone who promises to make them very wealthy with just a small investment. And when they realize their bank account has been emptied,and they get another call, they are eager to give him a different card. "He sounds like such a nice guy. And he promises to make me rich. I believe him". There is a word for these folks: fools.
11
" With his approval ratings in the 30-something."
That depends on who you ask.
Bet you Trump will tell us his ratings are in the high 90's.
That depends on who you ask.
Bet you Trump will tell us his ratings are in the high 90's.
5
I've worked with very rich people. They do not think like we do. He is way out of touch with the average American worker. What is the problem? He hates anyone who is less than perfect. He is hardly an example of perfection, given all of his bankruptcies.
4
Can you give a break to the poor Donald Trump? He just did not know that to be president was so complicated.
4
As much as I enjoyed it, there's no denying this is a hit piece. There's no chance it will change Mr. Trump, and chance it will do much to aid his foes.
1
A lot is said about Mr. Trump, but not much is said or written about the American voter. What appeals to the American voter, who would vote against his/her family's interest ?. I think that until that question is answered, there will always be the possibility of a Donald Trump holding the presidency, or to a lesser extent, a seat on the SC.
It's obvious to me, that republicans understand the voter better than the democrats, hence they could launch an assault on Mrs. Clinton re: Benghazi, maintain it for years and convince a huge portion of the people that what they were saying was the truth.
Yes, Mr. Ryan and Mr. McConnel are still there fighting to deny Americans real progress, and undoubtedly will continue to do so.
700,000 Kentuckians voting to lose healthcare is a head scratcher.
It's obvious to me, that republicans understand the voter better than the democrats, hence they could launch an assault on Mrs. Clinton re: Benghazi, maintain it for years and convince a huge portion of the people that what they were saying was the truth.
Yes, Mr. Ryan and Mr. McConnel are still there fighting to deny Americans real progress, and undoubtedly will continue to do so.
700,000 Kentuckians voting to lose healthcare is a head scratcher.
9
The only "deal" that DJT may make will be with Robert Mueller as he leaves office in the next few weeks/months.
I made guess that DJT would not last a year in office, much less a full term. I still like my prediction!
I made guess that DJT would not last a year in office, much less a full term. I still like my prediction!
1
Searching Trump's ghost-written book for insights into his thought processes offers the same prospect of success as parsing a speech by Energy Secretary Rick Perry for evidence of intelligence. That work, based on Tony Schwarz's interviews with Trump, simply reproduces an air-brushed picture of a fictional character who happens to have the same name as the current president. The real Trump and his imaginary doppelganger do share some characteristics (both love to boast), but the hollow man who occupies the Oval Office lacks the substance to merit a work on his business philosophy.
In like manner, Trump's campaign speeches convey a false (if confused) impression of his plan for "making America great again." Buried somewhere in the tsunami of incoherent statements he unleashed on an unsuspecting nation one can detect an occasional nugget of truth as to his intentions. If a promise serves his self-interest or that of his family, he will probably try to fulfill it.
In Trump's hands, words resemble silly putty. He shapes their meaning to suit his needs. In trying to understand Trump. it might be best to recognize that one is not confronting an intellect, but a force of nature, dominated by an insatiable ego. He is quite unlike any individual who has ever occupied the Oval Office. And we put him there.
In like manner, Trump's campaign speeches convey a false (if confused) impression of his plan for "making America great again." Buried somewhere in the tsunami of incoherent statements he unleashed on an unsuspecting nation one can detect an occasional nugget of truth as to his intentions. If a promise serves his self-interest or that of his family, he will probably try to fulfill it.
In Trump's hands, words resemble silly putty. He shapes their meaning to suit his needs. In trying to understand Trump. it might be best to recognize that one is not confronting an intellect, but a force of nature, dominated by an insatiable ego. He is quite unlike any individual who has ever occupied the Oval Office. And we put him there.
2
Maybe Mueller should investigate ties between foreign companies and individuals, such as FOXCONN and its owner, and the Trump campaign, individuals involved in the campaign, and Super PACs involved in the 2016 election. Could explain why Trump is so paranoid over Mueller seeing financial data. Imagine the kick Mr. Trump would feel over a deal landing him the Presidency.
1
The reasons Republicans get elected is that their main appeal is fear.
In 2010 it was death panels because the ACA was going to decide what health care you can get. Now people are beginning to see that, without the ACA, the problem is that you likely wouldn't get any efficacious care at all.
In 2014 it was the coming Ebola epidemic Obama was letting into the US via Africans who live in the place where God, after the Flood, confined the deadliest species he created Somehow that never happened. Somehow that disappeared as an issue. Nobody seemed to ask why it did. Was it because you voted for a GOP candidate?
Last year it was Central American produce harvesters, and others willing to take low pay, that were killing Americans' job opportunities. And then there was Sharia Law to be frightened of which might be able to legislate their relgious beliefs into law, laws that might differ somewhat from the religious beliefs the Religious Right wants to force onto everyone. And the strange idea that transgender people are bathroom menaces
This, of course, is only the last few years. But it is a long-running strategy used by a bunch of elitists who don't have the welfare of anyone else at heart. If you can prevent them from doing this, they can't win on the basis of their failed, time and again, programs
In 2010 it was death panels because the ACA was going to decide what health care you can get. Now people are beginning to see that, without the ACA, the problem is that you likely wouldn't get any efficacious care at all.
In 2014 it was the coming Ebola epidemic Obama was letting into the US via Africans who live in the place where God, after the Flood, confined the deadliest species he created Somehow that never happened. Somehow that disappeared as an issue. Nobody seemed to ask why it did. Was it because you voted for a GOP candidate?
Last year it was Central American produce harvesters, and others willing to take low pay, that were killing Americans' job opportunities. And then there was Sharia Law to be frightened of which might be able to legislate their relgious beliefs into law, laws that might differ somewhat from the religious beliefs the Religious Right wants to force onto everyone. And the strange idea that transgender people are bathroom menaces
This, of course, is only the last few years. But it is a long-running strategy used by a bunch of elitists who don't have the welfare of anyone else at heart. If you can prevent them from doing this, they can't win on the basis of their failed, time and again, programs
1
Talk about "leading from behind." The president has no actual ideas of his own, and his campaign promises were piles of lies upon lies. He follows the lead of Congress on health care despite the fact that the Republican leaders' vision of healthcare reform bears absolutely no resemblance to the promises he made in his campaign. He follows their lead on Russia sanctions despite his love for Putin. Wag the dog? Yes, Congress is wagging this dog all over town... However, Trump's biggest lie, among the endless morass of lies that characterize his campaign and presidency, is that he was a "successful businessman." He was a failed businessman who was saved by becoming a successful ENTERTAINER. We have to give him credit for his silly but entertaining role in the pseudo-reality TV series, The Apprentice, but his business record is horrible. Welcome to the Idiocracy...
1
Why is Trump mum over Putin's seizure of two U.S. diplomatic properties and the sacking of nearly 300 diplomatic staff? It begs the question, "who is Trump?" Is he an American or a Russian? Whose interest does he serve? The U.S. or Putin's Russia?
2
JS - he serves his own interest, and that of his family and anyone who has spoken with Russians to do deals. Those are the people he's protecting, as ultimately it affects his business, and as we know, he only imagines himself a winner. Legend in his own mind!
After deceiving US banks and not paying his bills, they stopped doing business with him. He couldn't get a loan, that's how he fell into the hands of the Russians.
After threatening to sue, and doing so as one of the most litigious businessmen in America, he didn't pay his lawyers. Thus his current legal team look like the Bad News Bears vs. Mueller's all star cast. Major law firms refused his current business and our best instead jumped in to fight him.
After hiring good contractors to build his McMansions, then not paying them, his real estate business morphed into a name lending company.
After only six months in office his own party, his staff, and the American public are joining the banks, the lawyers, and the contractors in rejecting his me first me only philosophy.
When I think back to former Presidents, who all had redeemable qualities and who were basically decent people but were were torn down in the public square, it gives me hope that this evil person will wind up dismantled and humiliated, strengthening us as a nation of laws and ethics, just as Watergate did. We're sick of him already, in this his first season of The Washington Apprentice, and just like his tv show, ratings will plunge in upcoming episodes.
After threatening to sue, and doing so as one of the most litigious businessmen in America, he didn't pay his lawyers. Thus his current legal team look like the Bad News Bears vs. Mueller's all star cast. Major law firms refused his current business and our best instead jumped in to fight him.
After hiring good contractors to build his McMansions, then not paying them, his real estate business morphed into a name lending company.
After only six months in office his own party, his staff, and the American public are joining the banks, the lawyers, and the contractors in rejecting his me first me only philosophy.
When I think back to former Presidents, who all had redeemable qualities and who were basically decent people but were were torn down in the public square, it gives me hope that this evil person will wind up dismantled and humiliated, strengthening us as a nation of laws and ethics, just as Watergate did. We're sick of him already, in this his first season of The Washington Apprentice, and just like his tv show, ratings will plunge in upcoming episodes.
1
Let this editorial mark just the first of the NYTimes’ unrelentingly laser-like challenge to the validity and constitutionality of Trump’s wholly irredeemable presidency.
Let the path toward impeachment begin, supported by the power of the press in general and by the NYTimes in particular.
Let the path toward impeachment begin, supported by the power of the press in general and by the NYTimes in particular.
1
Superb, pithy, well-written critique of the first six months...
1
Is there anyway that we can buy out his contract and make him go away?
3
If Trump were actually a successful deal maker he'd be happy to release his tax returns to show off, no matter how compromising it might be.
The one return he did release may have been the only decent year he's had.
The one return he did release may have been the only decent year he's had.
4